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SDF Hopeful to Receive More US Weapons as 'Promised by Trump'

Sputnik News

21:12 03.02.2017(updated 21:23 03.02.2017)

Lately, the press has been actively discussing the new US administration's will to possibly increase the military aid to Kurdish forces in order to accelerate the fight against Daesh in Syria. A spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which forms the backbone of the Kurdish self-defense units, Talal Sulo spoke with Sputnik about this.

"Recently, the United States delivered 10 armored personnel carriers to us. Under Obama, we almost did not receive any military assistance. However, Trump's administration promised to provide us with more military equipment and weapons in the near future. This assistance is provided to us as a part of the operation to liberate Raqqa from Daesh terrorists," Sulo said.

Abdulaziz Yunus who is responsible for external relations of the Democratic Forces of Syria also confirmed the US military aid.

"American officials both in the press and in the course of our meetings declared that they will continue to help us. We intend to continue cooperation with the United States on the issue of fighting terrorism," Yunus told Sputnik Turkey.

The Co-Chairman of the Council of Democratic Syria, which is composed of representatives of the Party of Democratic Union, People's Protection Units and the SDF, İlhan Ehmed commented on the issue saying that the council is working together with the US to fight the terrorists.

"We hope that the new US administration will continue to support our cooperation in the fight against terrorists. It is exactly this struggle that will return stability and peace to Syria," Ehmed said.

Even before the inauguration of Donald Trump, Ilhan Ehmed and Chairman of the Assembly of the Assyrians Besam İshak visited the US where they held a series of meetings with both the Obama administration and the new leadership.

Kurdish fighters dominate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a collective that also includes the Syrian Arab Coalition, which is made up of fighters predominantly from local Arab areas.

American-supplied armored vehicles were delivered to Syrian fighters on Tuesday, but Col. John Dorrian said they were transferred to the Syrian Arab Coalition, not the SDF. Another of the SDF's Kurdish components, the Popular Defense Units (YPG) also denied receiving arms from the US-led coalition.

© Sputnik