DAMASCUS: Battles between Turkish-backed groups, supported by air strikes, and Kurdish-led forces killed 37 pe ople on Thursday in Syria`s northern Manbij region, a war monitor said.

The latest reported fighting comes despite the United States saying on Wednesday that it was working to address Turkiye`s concerns in Syria to dissuade the Nato ally from escalating an offensive against Kurdish fighters.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported `fierce battles in the Manbij countryside...

in the past hours between the (Kurdish-led) Syrian Democratic Forces and the (Turkish-backed) National Army factions... with Turkish air cover`.

`The attacks killed 37 people in a preliminary toll, mostly Turkish-backed combatants, but also six SDF fighters and five civilians, said the British-based Observatory with a network of sources inside Syria.

The monitor said at least 322 people have been killed in fighting in the Manbij countryside since last month.

Turkish officials will tell US Under Secretary of State John Bass during talks in Ankara this week that Syria needs to be rid of terrorist groups to achieve stability and security, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said on Thursday.

Bass` visit comes amid repeated warnings from Turkiye that it could mount a cross-border military offensive into northeastern Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia if the group does not meet its demands.

During his visit to Ankara on Thursday and Friday, Bass will hold talks with Turkiye`s deputy foreign ministers, the source said, adding the talks would focus on Syria. Talks are expected to `focus on steps to establish stability and security in Syria and to support the establishment of an inclusive government,` the source said.-AFP