TAL ABYAD, Syria (AP) — U.S. troops are patrolling border areas in northeastern Syria to oversee implementation of a new deal to defuse tension between its allies, Turkey and Syrian Kurds.
Armored vehicles move between villages in the area to ensure military bases occupied by the Syrian Kurdish-led forces have been cleared of fortification. On a patrol Friday, U.S. troops inspected the work as bulldozers removed sand berms and closed trenches.
The Syrian commander of a new local force deployed to the base, Khalil Khalfo, said while a political agreement is still elusive, his forces don’t want war with Turkey.
An initial agreement between Washington and Ankara last month averted threats of a Turkish attack. But details of the deal are still being worked out and residents of the area are bracing for more instability.