The U.S. military has deployed a small number of forces in and around the Syrian city of Manbij as part of a new role to ensure that the different parties in the area do not attack each other, a Pentagon spokesman said on Monday.
Captain Jeff Davis told reporters the forces were stationed inside and to the west of Manbij starting last week to be a "visible sign of deterrence and reassurance."
While U.S forces have carried out training and advising missions in Manbij, this is the first time they have been deployed to make sure that Turkey- and U.S.-backed forces do not attack each other and focus on fighting Islamic State militants.
The villages west of Manbij have been a focus of fighting since Wednesday between Turkish-backed rebels opposed to the Syrian government and the Manbij Military Council, part of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that includes the Kurdish YPG group.
Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is waging an insurgency in Turkey.