US sends first weapons shipment to PKK/PYD terrorists in Syria

The U.S. sent its first shipment of heavy weapons to the YPG, the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)’s affiliate in Syria, on Saturday, according to Turkish intel citing local sources.

The arms shipment, which consists of mortar artillery and heavy machine guns mounted on two armored vehicles, was sent to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a PKK proxy, stationed near al-Tabqah in Raqqa.

The shipment was sent from Erbil, the capital of the Regional Kurdish Administration in northern Iraq. This marks the second time that the American administration has sent military aid to the PKK affiliate in Syria through areas under the control of Masoud Barazani, the head of the Turkey-allied Iraq’s Regional Kurdish Government.

According to reports, the first shipment sent by the U.S. did not include anti-tank missiles, nor armored personnel carriers.

Recently, the SDF has managed to capture the strategic city of al-Tabqah and its dam in the countryside of Daesh-controlled Raqqa.

According to reports posted on the Turkish daily Hürriyet citing anonymous Turkish officials, the upcoming arms shipment to PKK terrorists in Syria is expected to include anti-tank missiles, followed by tanks and armored personnel carriers.

According to Turkish security sources, the arming of the YPG by the U.S. will not be treated as a high-priority development by Turkey, noting that measures have already been taken along the border with Syria to deal with a ‘worst-case scenario’ in the fight against terrorism in the region. The source added that “everybody knows that any attack by terrorists will be met by missiles from Turkey.“

Last Tuesday, the Pentagon announced that Trump had approved the arming of the SDF ahead of an attempt to drive Daesh from Raqqa, the last Syrian city held by the terror group.

The SDF is spearheaded by the PYD and its armed wing, the YPG. Turkey views both as Syrian affiliates of the PKK terrorist organization, which has fought a 33-year war against Turkey and is also listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU.

However, the U.S. has used the PKK/PYD as its ally in Syria in combatting Daesh. Turkey has repeatedly called on the U.S. to end its ties to the PKK/PYD and has offered to help take Raqqah.

The PKK resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015. Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of some 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children.