German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday labeled the Kurdish city of Kobane in northeast Syria (Rojava) as the symbol of the Kurds' courageous fight” against the #Islamic State# (ISIS) a decade ago. She also called on Turkey to respect Syria's sovereignty amid a looming fresh offensive on Kurdish-led forces.

“Kobane is a symbol of the Kurds' courageous fight against IS. Further bloodshed is the last thing the people should experience after 14 years of war,” Baerbock said in a post on X, using a different acronym for the extremist group.

Her remark comes amid reports of preparations by Turkey and its Syrian allied militia groups to attack Kobane as US efforts to mediate a ceasefire between these forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the city have failed, reported Wall Street Journal.

“Turkey plans to attack Kobane city,” said the SDF in a statement on Tuesday, adding that Ankara and militia groups it supports have already made preparations on the Kobane border for the potential attack.

ISIS attacked Kobane in 2014, invading parts of the city. But the SDF, with the help of the US-led global coalition against ISIS and Peshmerga forces, was able to liberate the city after a few months.

Germany is an active member of the global coalition.

The development comes amid historic changes in Syria as a coalition of militia groups led by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ousted Bashar al-Assad last week.

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller on Monday implicitly urged Turkey to refrain from launching an operation against Kurdish forces in Syria. Ankara considers the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF, as the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“We understand Turkiye’s legitimate right to go after a designated terrorist organization which the United States continues – considers a terrorist organization as well,” Miller said. “We have designated the PKK and we respect their [Turkey’s] right to go after that organization.”

Turkey-backed opposition militia groups launched an offensive against the SDF in the northwestern region of Shahba late last month, controlling it days later. They also took over Manbij city earlier this week which Kurdish fighters had liberated from ISIS in 2016.

A four-day ceasefire, brokered by Washington, expired on Monday. [1]