The United States is looking into allegations that Kurdish YPG forces in Syria are taking advantage of the fight against Islamic State to drive Arab residents out of areas under their control.
U.S. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke told reporters Friday, “We are aware of the reports and we are concerned by them and we are seeking more information about them.”
Hours after Rathke's statement, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Saturday said the YPG fighters, backed by rebels and coalition warplanes, advanced farther into the IS-bastion province of Raqa in northern Syria, in a bid to capture the key border town of Tal Abyad.
The observatory said Kurdish forces laid siege to the Islamic State-held town of Salouk, about 10 kilometers from Tal Abyad.