Kurdish groups capture new positions in Syrian city
BEIRUT - Syrian Kurdish militia have seized several positions from government forces in the divided city of Hasaka, a Kurdish official said on Friday, expanding their control in one of the heaviest clashes yet between Kurdish groups and the government.
The fighting this week led to the first use of Syrian air force jets against Kurdish groups that are a crucial ally of the United States in its fight against Islamic State insurgents. The government has not commented on the fighting.
The Kurdish YPG militia holds wide areas of northern Syria, where its political allies have set up an autonomous government since Syria's civil war began in 2011. The government still has a foothold in the cities of Hasaka and Qamishli.
