The EU on Monday condemned Turkey's assault on Kurdish forces in northern Syria but stopped short of imposing the formal arms embargo some countries have urged.

The top congressional Democrat said Monday she had agreed with Republicans on the need for a resolution to overturn Donald Trump's "dangerous" troop withdrawal from northern Syria, as the US president threatened tough sanctions against Ankara.

The Pentagon has begun removing all its troops in northern Syria, a U.S. official said Monday, after President Donald Trump ordered them to leave in the face of Turkey's attacks on Kurds in the area.

Syrian regime troops entered the key Syrian city of Manbij, state news agency SANA said Monday, after Damascus deployed troops to the country's north to contain a days-long Turkish offensive.

Since the outbreak of Syria's brutal civil war, the United States has stated several objectives -- destroying Islamic State extremists, easing from power President Bashar al-Assad and limiting Iran's influence.

A Saudi football delegation visited east Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Monday as part of a groundbreaking trip to play a match in the occupied West Bank.

President Donald Trump suggested Monday that Kurdish fighters may be releasing imprisoned Islamic State group jihadists to bait the United States into remaining involved in northeastern Syria.

Turkey denied that its offensive in northern Syria had allowed Islamic State prisoners to break out of detention camps, charging Monday that Kurdish militants had instead deliberately "emptied" a prison. 

EU foreign ministers on Monday voiced concern and condemnation at Turkey's assault on Kurdish forces in northern Syria, but warned their options for coordinated action across the bloc were limited.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday welcomed the announcement by Washington that it was pulling out 1,000 troops from northern Syria.