Serbian mortars in Kurdish hands

SOCOM, who is responsible for securing weapons for US-backed rebels fighting I SIS in Syria has denied buying shells even though statements supporting this were presented to them. The discovery appears to confirm that Kurdish militias in Syria were receiving ammunition purchased by the US long before US President Donald Trump decided in May to lift the ban on their arming. It is not clear how the Kurdish People's Protection Units, known as YPG, succeeded in taking shells in 2016.

The Ministry of Commerce in Serbia told the media that 8,860 mortar shells produced in Serbia had been given to Cameroon and Saudi Arabia and the US base of SOCOM in Kuwait, a major logistical basis for the Pentagon's programme to arm the Syrian rebels. The ministry refused to specify the number of mortars for any destination, but added that remittances to Kuwait took place through an unidentified American firm. SOCOM said in a written statement that he had not purchased mortars from Yugoimport, but did not respond to calls for clarification after facing official data from Serbia.