Kashaf verified statements made by Mahmoud Barkhadan, commander of the Ain al-Arab "Kobani" brigade, during an interview with Turkish journalist Yilmaz Bilgin, in which he rejected what he described as Israeli expansion inside Syria, noting that the occupation and the threat Israel poses continue along the Golan - Quneitra - Daraa line.
Barkhadan affirmed that his forces would head to southern Syria and deploy there if Damascus assigned them to do so, stressing his readiness to take part in any confrontation in defence of the country, rather than remaining away from the field.
Barkhadan linked Israeli movements under the Abraham Accords and what is called the "David Corridor" to operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, considering that they carry strategic messages for the region stretching from the Nile to Isfahan. He said Israeli religious, political and military objectives constitute a threat to Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen alike, described the "terror-free zone operation" launched by Ankara as a meaningful step, and announced that his forces would join the Syrian army in the coming days.
Regarding the weapons his forces held, Barkhadan stated that a delegation from Damascus inspected the weapons and registered them in full, and that the Syrian army now has the authority to determine how they are used or to transfer the surplus to other areas, stressing that there were no reservations about that.
On the "ISIS" organisation, Barkhadan considered that its emergence marked the most prominent turning point in the course of Syrian events, describing the organisation as the product of a multi-party international interaction. He rejected holding the Turkish presidency responsible for its founding or its practices, stressing that the organisation caused harm to Turkey, Syria and the Kurds alike.
