Syrian Kurdish official eyes possible talks with Damascus

FILE PHOTO: Badran Jia Kurd, top Kurdish official, talks during an interview with Reuters in Qamishli, Syria March 11, 2019. Picture taken March 11, 2019. REUTERS/Issam Abdallah

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Kurdish-led authorities in northern Syria may open talks with Damascus and Russia to fill a security vacuum in the event of a full withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Turkish border area, a Syrian Kurdish official said on Tuesday.

Badran Jia Kurd's comments to Reuters reflect the predicament facing Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria following a partial withdrawal of U.S. troops who have effectively shielded the area from Turkish attack.