Syria: Assad regime forces move towards Turkish border

Syrian soldiers deploy west of Tall Tamr near flahspoint town of Ras al-Ain, a key target for Ankara

Syrian regime forces moved towards the Turkish border Monday after Damascus reached a deal with beleaguered Kurdish forces following a US withdrawal announcement, AFP correspondents reported.

Soldiers waving Syrian flags deployed west of Tall Tamr, not far from the flashpoint border town of Ras al-Ain, which has been a key target of Turkish forces and their proxies since they launched their onslaught six days ago.

Tall Tamr is about 18 miles from the border but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said some units in the area had moved as close as four miles.

AFP correspondents said the government forces were met by cheering residents and Syrian state television aired footage of people welcoming the soldiers.

According to a newspaper close to the Damascus regime, Syrian forces were also expected to deploy in the areas of Manbij and the border town of Kobane, further east.

On October 9, Turkey launched a broad cross-border offensive on areas that were controlled by Kurdish forces it considers to be a terrorist organisation.

The move came after a pullback of US troops from the border area effectively gave Ankara a green light to launch its long-prepared operation.