The US-led coalition and Turkish military forces began on Thursday morning joint patrols northwest of Manbij in Syria, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve said in a press release.
"The combined joint patrols allow Coalition and Turkish military forces to complement the local security structure for security and stability in Manbij," the release said on Thursday.
The joint patrols will be led by a mutually designated ground force commander, according to the release. The patrols come on the heels of multiple rehearsals between US-led coalition and Turkish forces.
Ankara and Washington agreed on a roadmap in June amid Turkish demands for the withdrawal of the U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG militant group. The YPG forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that Washington backs with arms, air support and around 2,000 special forces troops on the ground.
But even as the joint patrols were due to begin this week, Turkish AKP government announced a new offensive against the Kurdish militant groups on the opposite bank of the river, into territory where the SDF is backed by U.S. troops.
Turkish military advances into northern Syria over the past two years have put U.S. forces directly in the path of advancing troops from Turkey.
