A deal between Damascus and Syria's Kurds over their autonomous region in the country's north is "inevitable", a senior Kurdish military official said on Saturday, insisting that Kurdish forces should remain in the area.

Marginalised for decades, Syria's minority Kurds carved out a de facto autonomous region across some 30 per cent of the nation's territory after the devastating war broke out in 2011.

Kurdish forces, backed by a US-led coalition, spearheaded the fight in Syria against the Islamic State group after the jihadists seized large parts of the country and neighbouring Iraq in 2014.

But Washington's shock December announcement that it would withdraw its troops from Syria pushed the Kurds to seek a new alliance with President Bashar al-Assad's regime, amid fears of a long-expected Turkish assault against Kurdish forces.

Redur Khalil, a commander in the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces alliance, told AFP that Kurdish authorities and Damascus were bound to reach a deal.

"Reaching a solution between the autonomous administration and the Syrian government is inevitable because our areas are part of Syria," said Khalil.

Syrian government forces deployed late last month around the key city of Manbij in Aleppo province, after Kurdish forces called for them to arrive.

"Negotiations are ongoing with the government to reach a final formulation for administering the city of Manbij," Khalil told AFP, adding that talks had shown "positive signs".

If that leads to a solution that "protects the rights" of Manbij residents, a similar arrangement could be applied to SDF-controlled areas of Deir Ezzor province, east of the Euphrates river, he said.

The deployment of government forces along the Turkish border could not be ruled out, he added.

Ankara views the SDF's Kurdish fighters as "terrorists", in cahoots with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been fighting Turkish troops since 1984.

"We still have some differences with the central government, which need negotiations with international support," Khalil said, adding that regime backer Russia could act as a guarantor state.

Outstanding issues include the form of government in Kurdish regions and the future of Kurdish forces stationed there, he said.

"The tasks of these forces could change, but we will not withdraw from our territory," Khalil said, adding Kurdish fighters could be integrated into the Syrian army.&nbsp;

He also called for a new constitution that would guarantee Kurdish rights.

Sparked by the brutal repression of anti-Assad protests in 2011, Syria's multi-fronted conflict has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions at home and abroad.

A deal between Damascus and Syria's Kurds over their autonomous region in the country's north is "inevitable", a senior Kurdish military official said on Saturday, insisting that Kurdish forces should remain in the area.

A deal between Damascus and Syria's Kurds over their autonomous region in the country's north is "inevitable", a senior Kurdish military official said on Saturday, insisting that Kurdish forces should remain in the area. Marginalised for decades, Syria's minority Kurds carved out a de facto autonomous region across some 30 per cent of the nation's territory after the devastating war broke out in 2011. Kurdish forces, backed by a US-led coalition, spearheaded the fight in Syria against the Islamic State group after the jihadists seized large parts of the country and neighbouring Iraq in 2014. But Washington's shock December announcement that it would withdraw its troops from Syria pushed the Kurds to seek a new alliance with President Bashar al-Assad's regime, amid fears of a long-expected Turkish assault against Kurdish forces. Redur Khalil, a commander in the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces alliance, told AFP that Kurdish authorities and Damascus were bound to reach a deal. "Reaching a solution between the autonomous administration and the Syrian government is inevitable because our areas are part of Syria," said Khalil. Syrian government forces deployed late last month around the key city of Manbij in Aleppo province, after Kurdish forces called for them to arrive. "Negotiations are ongoing with the government to reach a final formulation for administering the city of Manbij," Khalil told AFP, adding that talks had shown "positive signs". If that leads to a solution that "protects the rights" of Manbij residents, a similar arrangement could be applied to SDF-controlled areas of Deir Ezzor province, east of the Euphrates river, he said. The deployment of government forces along the Turkish border could not be ruled out, he added. Ankara views the SDF's Kurdish fighters as "terrorists", in cahoots with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been fighting Turkish troops since 1984. "We still have some differences with the central government, which need negotiations with international support," Khalil said, adding that regime backer Russia could act as a guarantor state. Outstanding issues include the form of government in Kurdish regions and the future of Kurdish forces stationed there, he said. "The tasks of these forces could change, but we will not withdraw from our territory," Khalil said, adding Kurdish fighters could be integrated into the Syrian army. He also called for a new constitution that would guarantee Kurdish rights. Sparked by the brutal repression of anti-Assad protests in 2011, Syria's multi-fronted conflict has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions at home and abroad.

Deal with Syria regime 'inevitable': Kurdish commander

A Turkish soldier was killed and three more wounded in a rocket attack by the Kurdish militia as Turkey carried out a four-day cross border offensive against the Islamic State (IS) jihadists and the Kurdish rebels inside Syria. 
 
The self-proclaimed Kurdish authorities in northern Syria said in a statement that the local fighters backed by Kurdish forces &quot;destroyed two tanks and killed its crews&quot; near the village of Al-Amarneh. 
 
Turkey&#39;s state-run Anadolu news agency later said one Turkish soldier was killed and three more wounded in a rocket attack by Kurdish militia on two tanks taking part in the offensive.

The dead soldier, who has not been identified, is the first confirmed Turkish fatality in the Syrian offensive. 
 
The rocket fire came from members of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), Anadolu said. 
 
Turkey considers the PYD and its People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG) militia to be terror organisations. 
 
Tensions between Ankara and the Kurdish militia escalated on Saturday, with clashes taking place eight kilometres south of the town of Jarabulus.&nbsp; 
 
Jarablus,&nbsp;a border town, was recaptured from the IS this week by Turkish-backed Syrian rebels, a monitoring group and Kurdish sources said. 
 
Turkey has blamed the Kurdish militia in an increasingly combustible contest for control in the border region. 
 
Anadolu said the Turkish army responded to the rocket attack by shelling PYD targets in Syria, without giving further details. 
 
In a separate incident on Saturday, Kurdish militants fired four rockets at the airport in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir. 
 
No casualties were reported, the Dogan news agency said. 
 
The pro-Kurdish fighters said Turkey had for the first time carried out airstrikes on its positions. 
 
&quot;With this aggression, a new conflict period will begin in the region,&quot; said the Jarabulus Military Council which is linked to the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). 
 
Anadolu agency reported that the army had carried out strikes against a weapons arsenal and command post belonging to &quot;terror groups&quot;. 
&nbsp; 
The fighting indicates Turkey is entering into a new and more dangerous phase in Syria. 
 
On Saturday, at the Turkish border village of Karkamis, six more tanks reportedly crossed into Syria, adding to the dozens of tanks and hundreds of troops already in the country. 
 
Anadolu said pro-Ankara fighters, backed by Turkish troops and firepower, had now taken five more villages from IS after the capture of Jarabulus. 
 
In Syria&#39;s northwest, at least 15 civilians were killed in barrel bomb attacks by Syrian regime aircraft on the rebel-held Maadi district in the battered city of Aleppo despite tentative plans for a 48-hour ceasefire, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory said. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP) 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Three other soldiers were wounded in a rocket attack by the Kurdish militia

A Turkish soldier was killed and three more wounded in a rocket attack by the Kurdish militia as Turkey carried out a four-day cross border offensive against the Islamic State (IS) jihadists and the Kurdish rebels inside Syria. The self-proclaimed Kurdish authorities in northern Syria said in a statement that the local fighters backed by Kurdish forces "destroyed two tanks and killed its crews" near the village of Al-Amarneh. Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency later said one Turkish soldier was killed and three more wounded in a rocket attack by Kurdish militia on two tanks taking part in the offensive. The dead soldier, who has not been identified, is the first confirmed Turkish fatality in the Syrian offensive. The rocket fire came from members of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), Anadolu said. Turkey considers the PYD and its People's Protection Units (YPG) militia to be terror organisations. Tensions between Ankara and the Kurdish militia escalated on Saturday, with clashes taking place eight kilometres south of the town of Jarabulus. Jarablus, a border town, was recaptured from the IS this week by Turkish-backed Syrian rebels, a monitoring group and Kurdish sources said. Turkey has blamed the Kurdish militia in an increasingly combustible contest for control in the border region. Anadolu said the Turkish army responded to the rocket attack by shelling PYD targets in Syria, without giving further details. In a separate incident on Saturday, Kurdish militants fired four rockets at the airport in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir. No casualties were reported, the Dogan news agency said. The pro-Kurdish fighters said Turkey had for the first time carried out airstrikes on its positions. "With this aggression, a new conflict period will begin in the region," said the Jarabulus Military Council which is linked to the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Anadolu agency reported that the army had carried out strikes against a weapons arsenal and command post belonging to "terror groups". The fighting indicates Turkey is entering into a new and more dangerous phase in Syria. On Saturday, at the Turkish border village of Karkamis, six more tanks reportedly crossed into Syria, adding to the dozens of tanks and hundreds of troops already in the country. Anadolu said pro-Ankara fighters, backed by Turkish troops and firepower, had now taken five more villages from IS after the capture of Jarabulus. In Syria's northwest, at least 15 civilians were killed in barrel bomb attacks by Syrian regime aircraft on the rebel-held Maadi district in the battered city of Aleppo despite tentative plans for a 48-hour ceasefire, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory said. (WION with inputs from AFP)

First Turkish soldier killed as conflict intensifies in northern Syria

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Deal with Syria regime 'inevitable': Kurdish commander

First Turkish soldier killed as conflict intensifies in northern Syria