Turkey set for offensive in Syria
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The U.S. decision to pull troops from northeast Syria opens the way for a Turkish attack on Kurdish-led forces long allied to Washington and plunges the campaign against jihadis into uncertainty
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TURKEY: Plans to set up “safe zone” extending 32km into Syria to push YPG fighters – viewed by Ankara as terrorists – away from Turkish border. Ankara says zone will also allow for safe return of millions of refugees
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Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF): Kurdish forces dominated by YPG militia – trained and equipped by U.S. as part of fight against Islamic State – denounce U.S. pullout as “a stab in the back”
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TURKEY
Gaziantep 
Afrin
Diyarbakir
Turkey’s proposed zone
Idlib 
Aleppo
Sanliurfa 
Akcakale
Ain Issa 
Raqqa
Latakia
Manbij
Qamishli
Hasakah
Khasham
River Euphrates
SYRIA
Deir al-Zour 
Sparsely populated
IRAQ


100km 60 miles
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LEBANON
Homs
TURKEY
Area of detail
SYRIA
Damascus
JORDAN
IRAQ

200km  125 miles
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Areas of control (as of Oct 7, 2019) 

Syrian government forces 

Opposition forces Turkish-backed opposition and Turkish military

Kurdish-led forces, dominated by People’s Protection Units (YPG)

So-called Islamic State militants

U.S. / coalition military base (as of Mar 2019)
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Sources: CRS, LiveuaMap, Reuters   © GRAPHIC NEWS
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