The Donald Trump administration is pushing to keep open a disputed crossing on the border of Iraq and Syria crucial to the fight against the Islamic State (IS) amid a military standoff stemming from last month's independence vote in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Kurdish officials in the semi-autonomous Rojava region had threatened over the weekend to close the three-way crossing at Fish Khabur that joins Iraq, Syria and Turkey. They say the western side of the border has come under threat from mortar fire from nearby Iraqi troops as they advance toward Kurdish-held areas.
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have received truckloads of supplies through the border crossing. The route is also used to provide heavy machinery used for de-mining, reconstruction and recovery efforts in areas that enjoy some autonomy from the Bashar al-Assad regime, such as the former IS stronghold of Raqqa.
On Saturday, Kurdish officials acknowledged the statement complaining of shelling but told Al-Monitor they had not closed the border. The US-backed military effort also said no disruptions had occurred.
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