The Syrian foreign ministry on Wednesday strongly condemned the presence of French and German special forces in the areas of Ayn al-Arab and Manbij to help Syrian Kurdish militants in the fight against Daesh.
The ministry described the presence of the forces in a statement on Wednesday as “a flagrant violation of the principles of the UN Charter” and “overt, unjustified aggression” against the sovereignty and independence of the country.
“Claiming that the French and German special forces presence comes within the fight against terrorism can not deceive anyone because the fight against terrorism effectively requires cooperation with the Syrian legitimate government,” it added.
A source close to the French Minister of Defence Jean-Yves Odrian said on Thursday that the French soldiers were “advising” the Syrian Democratic Forces which are battling Daesh.
Germany’s defense ministry said repeated claims by the Syrian government that German special forces were in northern Syria were not and had never been true.
“There are no German special forces in Syria. The accusation is false,” a ministry spokesman said.