Syrian army confronts Turkish offensive

After fighting for self-rule for years, Kurdish groups in northeastern Syria struck a deal with the Syrian government in exchange for help defending themselves from a Turkish invasion. Syrian troops on Monday took up a position in the predominantly Assyrian Christian town of Tell Tamer, about 12 miles from the Turkish border.

What does the agreement mean? Under the deal, Kurds in northern Syria could lose their semi-autonomous status. The Kurdish-led Syrian Defense Forces said it made the agreement with the Russian-backed government of President Bashar al-Assad out of desperation. On Sunday, more than 700 people linked to Islamic State (ISIS) escaped from detention camps the Kurds had guarded before the attack from Turkey began. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said President Donald Trump ordered U.S. troops to pull out of the region “as safely and quickly as possible.” Trump said on Saturday his decision to leave northeastern Syria made him an “island of one” but insisted it was inevitable. He announced a $50 million emergency support fund for Christians and other minorities in Syria.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s WORLD Magazine report on how the Turkish offensive affects Christians in northeastern Syria.