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Syrian Kurdish forces cede Tell Rifaat, claims Turkish press

Ankara is already celebrating its victory over the Syrian Kurdish militia in Tell Rifaat today as dreams of a corridor under Kurdish control evaporate.
Turkish-backed Syrian Arab fighters walk in the streets after seizing control of the northwestern Syrian city of Afrin from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) on March 18, 2018.
In a major victory for Ankara's two-month operation against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, Turkish-led forces pushed into Afrin apparently unopposed, taking up positions across the city. / AFP PHOTO / BULENT KILIC        (Photo credit should read BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)

The United States’ Syrian Kurdish allies face further reversals by Turkish-led forces amid reports that they were being pushed out of the mainly Arab town of Tell Rifaat today.

The Turkish media reported that an offensive heralded on Sunday by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against Tell Rifaat had begun amid unconfirmed reports that the Syrian Kurdish militia known as the People’s Protection Units (YPG) had withdrawn without a fight. Turkish military sources quoted by the mainstream NTV news channel, however, denied that Tell Rifaat had been captured.

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