Live Updates: Syrian Army Deployed to Northeast Amid Turkish Operation - Reports

The Russian Defence Ministry on Monday refuted reports about Russia allegedly not minding Turkey to extend its military operation, dubbed "Peace Spring," in north Syria into the Kurdish-controlled town of Kobani.

"Media reports on this matter do not correspond to reality," the ministry said.

"During the negotiations with the Turkish colleagues, the matters pertaining to the expansion of Operation Peace Spring by the Turkish armed forces into the Syrian town of Kobani have not been discussed," the ministry added.

As many as 560 members of Kurdish armed groups have been neutralised as a result of Turkey's offensive in north-eastern Syria, Anadolu news agency reported, citing the Turkish Defence Ministry's Twitter account.

According to previous data provided by the Turkish Defence Ministry, the number of neutralised militants stood at 415.

"Some — maybe many already, we don’t know yet — got out and are moving freely. This will give IS [Daesh] a new impetus not only in the region, but throughout the world, as well as in Europe", Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told reporters.

The minister recalled that the goal of the international coalition has been, among other things, to defeat terrorists and that in this context, Turkey’s actions were difficult to comprehend. He added that the consequences of the operation should be discussed within the framework of the international coalition.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and Damascus over the weekend agreed on the deployment of Syrian Army units along the border with Turkey.

According to a Sputnik correspondent, citing sources in the region, US troops have left the city of Hasek in northern Syria. The withdrawal process reportedly began in the evening, with about 160 US troops pulling back to the Iraqi territory.

Syrian state television announced that an estimated 260 US and coalition troops left north-eastern Syria for Iraq on 10 October and 14 October.

Česká republika s okamžitou platností pozastavuje vývozní licence na vojenský materiál do Turecka.

— Jan Hamáček (@jhamacek) October 14, 2019

"It is unacceptable for the EU to display an approach that protects terror elements", the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, shortly after the EU condemned Turkey's operation.

The Ankara-backed Syrian National Army, together with the Turkish military, has launched an attack on the city of Manbij, A Haber TV channel reported.

Earlier in the day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Turkish forces would give Kurdish-controlled Manbij to "its true Arab owners".

All US troops in northern Syria have been ordered to withdraw from the country amid the Turkish offensive, a US official was quoted by AFP on Monday as saying.

Some 1,000 troops will leave the country, with a small presence of 150 troops remaining in the southern Syria base at Al Tanf, the official added.

The Turkish Armed Forces are supporting the operation by delivering artillery strikes on SDF positions in the region. The FSA announced the operation in a written statement. They are advancing towards Manbij from the north, from the areas of Jarabulus and al-Bab. Also, FSA units are conducting a massive transfer of military equipment and fighters to the region.

"Turkish forces raided a prison in Tal Abyad earlier today, expecting to take custody of Daesh (Islamic State) terrorists held there. Before they got there, (Kurdish) PKK/YPG terrorists set free the Daesh militants in an attempt to fuel chaos in the area," a senior government official told reporters.

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar stated that Ankara has documented evidence that the YPG militants have taken Daesh* terrorists with them while pulling out from the areas under the Turkish attack.

* Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia

Moscow refuses to “even think” of the possibility of a military confrontation with Turkey in Syria, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

"We do not want to think about this option...We have sufficient communication between our military, which I have already spoken about”, Peskov told reporters.

The Syrian Army deployment along the border with Turkey will not pose any problems in Syria's Kobane, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said ahead of his visit to Azerbaijan. According to Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown a "positive approach".

The Turkish president also welcomed the US withdrawal of troops from northern Syria, calling it a positive step.

"There's plenty of rumours, but we have learned through the embassy that Russia has a positive approach regarding Kobane. It seems we won't face any problems there. We are conducting negotiations with Russia at the military and diplomatic level”, Erdogan told reporters on Monday.

"Manbij has not been cleared [from Kurdish militias] despite a US promise. However, Turkey will not go there, real Arab hosts will go there, and we aim at ensuring their safety”, Erdogan added.

Musul, Rakka ve Deyrizzor yerle bir edilir ve binlerce sivil öldürülürken seslerini çıkartmayalar, #BarisPinariHarekati’nin başarısı karşısında panik halinde “operasyonu durdurun” çağrıları yapıyor, Türkiye’yi yaptırımlarla tehdit ediyor.
Hedeflerimize ulaşana kadar durmak yok.

— Ibrahim Kalin (@ikalin1) 14 октября 2019 г.

The Syrian Army entered the town of Tel Tamer in the country's northeast at 4:30 a.m.

It consisted of a large convoy and was assisted by aircraft. The local population welcomed the troops.

The army has erected observation posts to prevent airstrikes and is expected to enter the areas abandoned by the US military.

Fırat’ın doğusunda planlandığı gibi başarılı şekilde devam eden Barış Pınarı Harekâtı’nda etkisiz hale getirilen toplam PKK/PYD-YPG’li terörist sayısı 550 oldu.#MSB #TSK #BarışPınarıHarekatı 🇹🇷

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) 14 октября 2019 г.

A provisional military agreement between the Syrian government and the country's Kurds is limited to the army's deployment along the border, a top Syrian Kurdish official Badran Jia Kurd told Reuters. According to the official, the two sides are expected to discuss political issues later.