US evades answer on who controls Syria's Tal Abyad

WASHINGTON

A spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Syria declined to answer questions Wednesday on who controls the northeastern town of Tal Abyad.

On Tuesday, the Turkish military shelled positions of the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK terrorist organization, in the town.

Cmdr. Sean Robertson, a Pentagon spokesperson, called on all parties to avoid escalation and focus on the most important task of defeating Daesh.

When asked by Anadolu Agency who was in control in Tal Abyad, Col. Sean J. Ryan, spokesman for the U.S.-led Combined Joint Task Force, replied: "The Coalition works through the Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF], and they decide the troop movements and plans."

When asked about the latest situation in the town and whether the forces there are SDF members, Ryan replied with a statement from the SDF which demanded that coalition members stop Turkish shelling of the region.

Asked who is currently controlling Tal Abyad, if it was the YPG or SDF, the spokesman said he did not have a "current update" on the town.

Ryan also did not respond when asked to disclose who the forces were in Tal Abyad that were targeted by Turkish shelling.

On Sunday, the Turkish military hit PKK/YPG positions in the Zor Magar region east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU.

Reporting by Kasim Ileri:Writing by Servet Gunerigok