Heavy fighting raged over the weekend in the southeastern Syrian town of Hajin, where an ISIS counteroffensive has been launched to try to reclaim what was once their “last” major town, and US-backed YPG forces try to keep them away.
While this is being presented as an ISIS reaction to the US pullout
announcement by some, the reality is that this is commonly how the
fighting has gone in this region, with Kurdish gains followed by major
ISIS counterattacks that reverse the situation. It is for this reason
that the Kurds have been contesting three smallish towns for several
solid months without a decisive victory.
Details are scant on the fighting, but the Kurds claimed to have killed
dozens of ISIS fighters. A Kurdish spokesman added that they believe
ISIS morale is improved by the US decision to withdraw.
ISIS fighters are largely confined to the eastern deserts in Syria, with
some contesting these towns with the Kurds. The fighting has long
raged, and there is little sign that the loss of the towns, whether
temporary or permanent, will mean much to ISIS in the region.
Turkey would be far more effective clearing IS for good.
Right and genociding the Kurds.
If they are so effective why have they not been involved up to now?
… If you are sympathetic to the Kurds, letting the Turks bleed fighting the IS seems a far better deal than Kurds doing the bleeding.
The Kurds are essentially a light infantry force under U.S. SF handlers, and those special operators are discouraged from front-line combat.
The Turks are a modern military with full artillery, armour, air support, above militia-grade regular infantry, and their own spec ops troops. They also have a modern military medical service.
It should be obvious who is more qualified to fight dug-in IS holdouts. As to why Turkey hasn’t, its mostly political.
The Kurds and U.S. military are between Turkey and the remaining IS holdouts in Northeast Syria. As you point out, the Turks have no problem shooting through the Kurds to get to IS, but the U.S. had objections about the first part of that equation.
The Syrian Arab Army, Hezbollah, and Russia, and even the U.S. military stands between Turkey and any IS in U.S.-occupied Al Tanf in Southeast Syria, a long way from the Turkish border.
Before that, NATO, including Turkey and Turkic DAESH, abetted the rise of the IS.
Its not clear when Turkey could have attacked the Islamic state; when there was access, as during the Siege of Kobani, the IS was a NATO proxy force.
After IS fell out of favour, the Turkish army was physically distant from the IS. IS units that switched flags to become ‘moderate’ rebels, are still NATO stealth allies.