Turkey has vowed to expand its operation against Syrian Kurdish forces, known as the People’s Defence Units or YPG, to other areas along the border. Ankara views the YPG as a major threat because of its links to Kurdish insurgents in Turkey. The YPG forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S. ally that drove the Islamic State group from much of northeastern Syria. The White House said Trump expressed concern about the fighting and told Erdogan the Afrin operation jeopardizes shared goals in Syria. Islamic State militants meanwhile launched a wave of attacks against government forces in eastern and northern Syria.

Source: National Post January 25, 2018 07:29 UTC