10 July 2017•Update: 11 July 2017
HASAKAH/ANKARA
The U.S. has sent 184 trucks carrying military equipment to PKK/PYD terrorist group in the northern Syrian province of Al-Hasakah over the past week.
According to Anadolu Agency reporter, 82 trucks arrived in PKK/PYD-held Hasakah province on July 5, while 102 other trucks arrived four days later.
According to the Pentagon, the U.S. military aid to several armed groups in Syria, including the PKK/PYD, comprises of 12,000 Kalashnikovs, 6,000 machine guns, 3,500 heavy machine guns, 3,000 RPG-7s and 1,000 American AT-4 or Russian SPG-9 anti-tanks.
The aid also includes 235 mortar guns of different calibers, 100 sniper rifles, 450 PV-7 night vision binoculars and 150 binoculars with infrared laser illuminator, the Pentagon said.
The Combined Joint Task Force -- Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF - OIR) led by the United States -- announced on June 6 that the Raqqah Operation was launched with the aim of clearing Daesh from the city center.
However, sources in the region say such military aid by the U.S. has allegedly taken place since 2016.
The YPG is the armed wing of the PYD -- the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, which is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU.
PKK has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years, during which more than 40,000 people have lost their lives. The PKK is also involved in illicit drug production, manufacture, and trafficking.
According to Turkey, the YPG and PYD are terrorist organizations, too, as they are affiliates of the PKK.
However, the U.S. considers YPG/PYD as a "reliable partner" on the ground in Syria and continues to support them in the field. The terrorist group operates currently in northern Syria and controls the majority of the area close to the Turkish border.
*Names of reporters have been withheld due to security concerns.
