Damascus has reacted angrily to claims that German special forces are present in the Ain al-Arab and Manbij areas of northern Syria, along with French troops on the ground, describing the alleged move as an “overt unjustified aggression on Syria's sovereignty.”
An official source told the Syrian state news agency, SANA, that the country's Foreign and Expatriates Ministry considered this presence a clear violation of the United Nations Charter.
“Commenting on news circulated regarding the presence of groups of French and German special forces in Ain al-Arab and Manbij areas on the Syrian territories, the Syrian Arab Republic vehemently condemns this blatant interference that constitutes a flagrant violation of the UN Charter’s principles and an overt unjustified aggression on the sovereignty and independence of Syria,” the source told SANA in a statement.
The source accused the countries involved in the alleged “interference” of giving legitimacy to terrorist groups by considering them moderate when in reality their ideology appears to be no different from that of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and Al-Nusra Front, SANA reported.