Members of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia took positions on the outskirts of the Islamic State stronghold of Tel Abyad on Monday (June 15).
YPG fighters, some with trucks carrying heavy machine guns, could be clearly seen arriving from the east of the town and taking up positions.
While dealing a blow to Islamic State, seizing Tel Abyad would also help the YPG to link up Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria. Turkey is worried about the risk of separatist sentiment among its own Kurdish minority in the southwest.