On Friday (26/2/16) a cease-fire came into effect in Syria. We were immediately provided with an example of why this cease-fire will only aid the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and associated groups.
On February 14th (14/2/16) the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF/QSD) launched operation Wrath of Khabur. It's objective was to liberate the town of Sadadi. This sits around 55km (33 miles) south of the City of Hasakah around 45km (26 miles) west of Syria's border with Iraq. It controls the main Highway 7 supply route between Hasakah City and the ISIL occupied city of Al Mayadin some 120km (70 miles) to the south.
On February 19th (19/2/16) the SDF had succeeded in liberating Sadadi itself and were setting to work securing the surrounding area and the Highway 7 supply route.
Yesterday (27/2/16) - technically recorded on Thursday (25/2/16) - US President Barack Obama declared in his weekly address to the nation that the cease-fire will not apply to ISIL and the US will remain relentless in its efforts to defeat the group.
Despite that assurance from Obama the QSD have come under extensive US pressure to announce that they will cease operations under the agreement. As a result they have stopped their efforts to secure the area around Sadadi including the Highway 7 supply route.
On Saturday (27/2/16) the SDF paid the price for that announcement. Taking advantage of the QSD's cease-fire ISIL launched a two-pronged attack on the town of Tel Abyad. This sits right on Syria's border with Turkey around 70km (43 miles) east of the Euphrates River.
The first prong of the attack came from Raqqa - ISIL's de facto capital in Syria - around 90km (50 miles) to the south. Most worryingly though the second prong originated from within Turkey and was supported by Turkish artillery fire.
Eventually the US did give the QSD permission to resist the attack and US aircraft were dispatched to assist them. The remaining ISIL fighters were cleared from Tel Abyad today but not before 50 QSD fighters had been killed.
Elsewhere ISIL have taken advantage of the lifting of pressure on them and their associates to today launch an assault on Abu Ghraib which sits around 15km (9 miles) west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. They have also today carried out twin bomb attacks on the Shia Sadr City district of Baghdad that have killed at least 24.
16:00 on 28/2/16 (UK date)
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