Syrian army pushes north as U.S. prepares to withdraw troops

By MEHMET GUZEL and BASSEM MROUE
AKCAKALE, Turkey — Syrian government troops moved into towns and villages in northern Syria on Monday, setting up a potential clash with Turkish-led forces advancing in the area as long-standing alliances in the region begin to crumble following the pullback of U.S. forces.
The Syrian military’s deployment near the Turkish border came after Syrian Kurdish forces previously allied with the U.S. said they had reached a deal with President Bashar Assad&r