Roj Peshmerga Awaiting US Decision to Return to Syria: Official
BasNews has learned from an informed source that Roj Peshmerga are preparing to return to Rojava, waiting for an agreement to be made with the new US administration.
Sai'id Omar, a member of the ENKS leadership in Syria told BasNews that Roj Peshmerga are being greatly supported and welcomed by the Rojava people, stressing that the issue of their return to Syria is on the agenda of the ENKS delegation's visit to Washington set to take place this month.
Speaking to BasNews, Jad'an Ali, a member of ENKS, said Roj Peshmerga along with the Kurdistan Region Peshmerga have benefited from the US military training and military equipment.
Roj Peshmerga is made up of Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan Region and they will eventually return to their homeland, Ali said, arguing that Kurdistan Democratic Union (PYD) and PKK will pay the price for the policy of preventing Roj Peshmerga from returning home.
The number of Roj Peshmerga is estimated to be over 10,000 troops, trained and armed along with Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces. They are involved in the war against IS on different frontlines in Nineveh province.
"Roj Peshmerga are perceived by the US as equally reliable as the Kurdistan Region Peshmerga in the fight against IS," Ali said.
Washington Post recently reported that the Trump Administration has suspended the Obama Administration's plan of sending heavy weapons to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in which the Kurds makes up its bulk.
SDF is an armed alliance formed by the US to lead the battle on Raqqa, the IS stronghold in Syria. However, the major constituent of the force is the Syrian Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG), PYD's armed wing, which is seen as a PKK-affiliated party by Turkey and the US support to SDF is raising sensitivity in Washington's relations with Ankara.
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