Russia calls on the SDF to hand over a town to the Syrian regime before the Turkish invasion

ARK News… Press reports quoted a military source in the "Ayn Isa Military Council" of the Syrian Democratic Forces, that the Russian forces have officially requested the SDF to hand over the town of Ayn Isa in the northern countryside of Raqqa to the Syrian regime.

This comes at a time when Ayn Isa has been under heavy artillery shelling a few days ago by the Turkish army and armed factions.

Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper quoted the source as saying that the Russian officers informed the Syrian Democratic Forces that the Turkish threats were "serious" to invade the town of Ayn Isa, and indicated that the Russians had asked the Syrian Democratic Forces to hand over the town to the Syrian regime "administratively and militarily."

The source pointed out that officials from the Russian army held a meeting at the Russian base in Ain Issa, which included leaders from the SDF and officers from the Syrian regime, during which the Russians presented several proposals to the SDF, including the establishment of a "security square in the center of the town."

The Russians also suggested that the security square include administration institutions and offices similar to the government security squares in the cities of Qamishli and Hasaka, on the condition that the Syrian flag be raised and state institutions opened, with the aim of blocking the path to Turkish attacks and preventing the implementation of a large-scale attack.

The source said that the Syrian Democratic leadership requested a period to study the request and that the request is likely to be rejected and said that a Turkish attack on the town would exceed the agreed "seam boundaries".

Ayn Isa is the main artery connecting the PYD administration areas and overlooking the highway linking the governorates of Aleppo, Hasaka, and Raqqa.

The strategically located town controls a major road network that connects the cities of Kobani and Manbij to the eastern countryside of Aleppo and the town of Al-Arima in the countryside of Al-Bab.

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