Syrian army deploys to Manbij after Kurdish calls to deter Turkey

FILE PHOTO: A road sign that shows the direction to Manbij city is seen in the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, Syria March 1, 2017. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army said it had deployed forces to Manbij in northern Syria on Friday after the Kurdish YPG militia urged Damascus to protect the town, where U.S. forces operate, from the threat of a major Turkish offensive.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said the government forces had entered a strip of territory at the edge of Manbij, not inside the town itself, creating a barrier with Turkey-backed fighters nearby.