Syrian Kurds Vow to Put ‘Own People’ Before Islamic State Fight
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Bracing for a likely Turkish offensive, Kurdish fighters in northern Syria signaled they’ll prioritize defending their “own people,” as concerns grow that the battle against Islamic State will be downgraded.
“The Syrian Democratic Forces are faced with two options: we fight Daesh and eradicate it,” said Mustafa Bali, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led SDF, using an acronym for the jihadist group. Or we defend “our people and defend our borders,” he said.