Pentagon says unilateral military action in N. Syria of "grave concern"

WASHINGTON, Dec 13 (KUNA) -- The Pentagon stressed late Wednesday that any unilateral military action in northern Syria is "of grave concern," saying such actions are considered "unacceptable." This comes following a speech by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which he said that Turkish troops will soon begin an operation east of the Euphrates in northern Syria targeting the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).
A Pentagon statement warned that "unilateral military action into northeast Syria by any party, particularly as US personnel may be present or in the vicinity, is of grave concern. We would find any such actions unacceptable," it stressed.
It affirmed that the "campaign against (IS) is not over," and that coalition forces "are working closely with the Syrian Democratic Forces who are in the midst of offensive operations against (IS).
"We should not and cannot allow (IS) to breathe at this critical point or we will jeopardize the significant gains we have made alongside our Coalition partners and risk allowing (IS) to resurge," it reiterated. (end) si.hb