PYD again misusing US flags in northern Syria

SANLIURFA / WASHINGTON

In areas of northern Syria recently liberated from Daesh, terrorist organizations PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the PYD, on Thursday continued to fly U.S. flags on its facilities.

Three flags were displayed once again at a base of the terrorist PYD/PKK in the Tal Abyad district of the Raqqa governorate in Syria's north, an Anadolu Agency correspondent in the area confirmed.

The flags, which were raised in the Munbatih area in Tal Abyad, can be observed from Turkey's borer district of Akcakale in southeastern Sanliurfa province.

On Sept. 2, several PYD/PKK militants displayed a U.S. flag in the village of Rafe, north of the liberated city of Manbij, 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the west bank of the Euphrates River.

According to local Syrian opposition sources on the ground, the flags are used as deterrents to prevent possible attacks.

By displaying the U.S. flags, they are sending the false signal that U.S. forces are also present, said the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity due to concerns for their safety.

Responding to an Anadolu Agency question related to the American flag being flown by PYD/PKK elements, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said that he was not aware of the incident.

“In the past as we've said, we would call on our partner forces not to fly the American flag on their own, certainly,” Cook said. “And so, I would imagine that that would be communicated if indeed that's taken place in this instance.”

A defense official told Anadolu Agency that the Defense Department recently saw the pictures circulating on social media and is looking into it in terms of what actually goes on there. The official spoke on background information and asked not to be named.

Another official said he would not anticipate American Special Forces flying American flags in Syria.