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Syrian Kurds deny deal with Russia, Assad government over Ain Issa

The Syrian government and Russian media sites are promoting a new agreement between Russia and the Syrian Defense Forces that guarantees the regime's takeover of the Ain Issa area in northern Raqqa.
TOPSHOT - Boys play on the swings in the northern Syrian city of Raqa, the former Syrian capital of the Islamic State (IS) group, on December 20, 2020. - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces overran Raqa in 2017, after years of what residents described as IS's brutal rule, which included public beheading and crucifixions. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

ALEPPO, Syria — Riyadh al-Khalaf, chairman of the Tell Abyad Military Council affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), denied in a statement to Hawar News Agency ANHA, reaching an agreement with Russia regarding Ain Issa. “All the news about reaching an agreement with the Russian forces are baseless; this is false and the control map is still intact following six weeks of Turkish military escalation,” Khalaf said Dec. 28.

His statement came against the backdrop of the Russian military police deployment in Ain Issa, which was considered as evidence of an agreement over the SDF handing over the area to Russia and the Syrian regime.

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