Monday, 7 October, 2019 , 19:35 AFP — European powers on Monday warned against a threatened Turkish offensive in northern Syria, saying the move, which has been facilitated by a US pullout, would boost the Islamic State group and spark a new refugee crisis.

Monday, 7 October, 2019 , 19:03 AFP — US President Donald Trump warned Turkey Monday against going too far in Syria, one day after giving Ankara a green light to invade its southern neighbor, sparking panic among Washington's Kurdish allies.

Monday, 7 October, 2019 , 17:09 AFP — The United States has pulled back a "very small number" of troops from areas of northern Syria along the Turkish border, a senior State Department official said Monday, after President Donald Trump seemed to indicate a wider retreat.

Monday, 7 October, 2019 , 16:34 AFP — US President Donald Trump said Monday that he will "obliterate" Turkey's economy if Ankara does anything that in his "great and unmatched wisdom" he considers to be "off limits" in Syria.

Monday, 7 October, 2019 , 16:10 AFP — The United States has pulled back a "very small number" of troops from areas of northern Syria along the Turkish border, a senior State Department official said Monday.

Monday, 7 October, 2019 , 16:07 AFP — President Donald Trump said Monday that he will "obliterate" Turkey's economy if Ankara does anything that in his "great and unmatched wisdom" he considers to be "off limits" in Syria.

Monday, 7 October, 2019 , 16:03 AFP — Syria's Kurds control about 30 percent of the war-battered country, establishing a fragile autonomy in oil-rich areas in the northeast, near the border with Turkey.

Monday, 7 October, 2019 , 15:55 AFP — Turkey has previously launched two operations into Syria -- in 2016 and 2018 -- to push back from its border Islamic State group jihadists and Kurdish militia fighters.

Monday, 7 October, 2019 , 15:31 AFP — US forces in Syria started pulling back Monday from Turkish border areas, opening the way for Ankara's threatened military invasion and heightening fears of a jihadist resurgence.

Monday, 7 October, 2019 , 15:22 AFP — Influential Republicans including staunch allies of Donald Trump in Congress angrily criticized the president Monday for pulling back US troops from key areas of northern Syria, warning the move abandons battlefield allies the Kurds.