Kurds fully evacuate Syria's border town under the peace truce

The Syria-backed Kurdish forces on October 21 left the besieged Syrian border from the town of Ras al-Ain in the first retraction under the peace truce with Turkey and the United States. Kino Gabriel, the spokesman of the Syrian Democratic Forces said that the Kurdish-led group had no fighters left in Ras al-Ain after the evacuation that took place on October 20. Turkey's defense ministry had earlier confirmed that a convoy of nearly 86 vehicles carrying the US-backed Syrian fighters had departed from the border town in the direction of Tal Tamr, a town located about 40 kilometers to the south. 

Occasional shellings after peace truce

The Turkish military operation which was announced by President Erdogan in the Northeastern Syrian border was put on halt until later this week after an agreement that was signed between the US and Turkey. However, according to the reports, there have been incidents of occasional shelling took place every day, especially around Ras al-Ain where the Syrian forces have been encircled by the Turkish-led forces. 

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US intervention 

The arrangements between the Turkey-Syria border were disturbed when the United States President Donald Trump ordered the US troops to leave the North Syrian border and instead guard their American boundaries. Soon after the shift in policy by the US, President Erdogan had launched a military offensive in Northeastern Syria to clear out the “terrorist forces”. On further criticism by the European countries, Turkey also threatened to send millions of refugees.  

Read - US Troops Leaving Syria To Be Deployed In Iraq, Says Defence Chief

No forces along the border

President Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin said that Ankara does not want both, the Syrian as well as the Turkish forces along the border because the refugees will refrain from going to those areas if the forces are still present. Moreover, Turkey also wants to oversee that area. Reportedly, the Turkish government has allowed nearly 3.6 million Syrians in their borders in order to avoid the military offensive launched in their home country. However, now Ankara wants them to return and so far, only a few have returned to an enclave which Turkey controls since 2017. 

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(With inputs from agencies)