US Special Operation Forces helping Turkey to allegedly fight foreign-backed Daesh terrorists in Syria: Pentagon

This file photo shows US special operations forces riding in the back of a pickup truck in the village of Fatisah in the northern Syrian province of Raqqah on May 25, 2016. (AFP)

The US Special Operation Forces are helping Turkish troops to allegedly fight Daesh terrorists in Syria, the Pentagon confirms.

The American troops had been deployed to Turkey at Ankara’s request to help its forces in and around the Syrian border, Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said in a statement on Friday.

The US forces are helping Turkish troops and so-called moderate Syrian opposition forces near the towns of Jarabulus and Ar Rai, Davis added.

“US personnel operating with Turkish forces and Syrian opposition forces will provide the same train, advise and assist support they have been providing to other local partners in Syria fighting ISIL (Daesh),” he said.

He noted that “access to the Turkey-Syria border region is strategically important to ISIL’s operations in Syria and Iraq as well as ISIL attempts to export terror to Turkey, the wider region, Europe and the United States.”

Ankara deployed troops and tanks into northern Syria on August 24 in an alleged bid to eradicate Daesh and Kurdish militants.

Turkish military tanks and armored vehicles are seen near Turkish-Syrian border in Gaziantep, Turkey on August 31, 2016. (Anadolu Agency)

Syria, which has been fighting foreign-backed militancy since March 2011, has denounced the Turkish incursion as a breach of its sovereignty.

In the latest attacks, Turkish jets reportedly targeted Daesh positions in the Syrian village of Baragat.

Last month, Turkish tanks entered Syria to allegedly strike Daesh terrorists in Jarablus and its air force along with US-led military coalition aircraft pounded targets in and around the city.

Turkey is said to be among the main supporters of militant groups active in Syria.

Reports say Ankara is actively training and arming the Takfiri elements in Syria and facilitating their safe passage into the violence-wracked state.