Senior U.S. officials say that Turkish forces and those of its militia allies are gathered along the border with Syria, raising concerns that Ankara is preparing for a large-scale invasion of territory held by US-backed Syrian Kurds, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday night.

The forces, including militia fighters, Turkish uniformed commandos and artillery in large numbers, are concentrated near Kobani, a Kurdish-majority city in Syria on the northern border with Turkey, the officials said.

One of the US officials said that a Turkish cross-border operation could be imminent.

The buildup, which began after the fall of the Assa regime, is similar to Turkish military steps before it invaded northeast Syria in 2019. �We are focused on it and pressing for restraint,� another of the U.S. officials said.

Ilham Ahmed, an official in the Syrian Kurds� civilian administration, urged President-elect Donald Trump on Monday to pressure Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan not to invade Syria.

Turkey�s goal is to �establish de facto control over our land before you take office, forcing you to engage with them as rulers of our territory,� Ahmed wrote to Trump in a letter viewed by The Wall Street Journal. �If Turkey proceeds with its invasion, the consequences will be catastrophic.�

U.S.-brokered cease-fire talks between the Syrian Kurds and Turkish-backed rebels in Kobani collapsed on Monday without a deal, according to a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF is now seeing �significant military buildups� east and west of the city, the spokesman said.

�From across the border, we can already see Turkish forces amassing, and our civilians live under the constant fear of imminent death and destruction,� Ahmed wrote to Trump.

A Turkish invasion would displace more than 200,000 Kurdish civilians in Kobani alone, Ahmed warned Trump, along with many Christian communities.

�We believe you hold the power to prevent this catastrophe. President Erdogan has listened to you before, and we trust he will heed your call again,� Ahmed wrote. �Your decisive leadership can stop this invasion and preserve the dignity and safety of those who have stood as steadfast allies in the fight for peace and security.�

(YWN Israel Desk � Jerusalem)