Battles continue in northern Syria between armed factions supported by Turkey and the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), where the “National Army” loyal to Ankara said that it “took control of new areas in the vicinity of the Tishreen Dam,” while the “SDF” said that it “killed Dozens” during the confrontations.
Today, Saturday, intermittent clashes broke out during the past hours between the SDF and the factions in the southern and eastern countryside of Manbij. The SDF also announced that Turkish warplanes targeted the vicinity of Tishreen Dam and the city of Deir Hafer with 8 strikes. In addition, the death toll from the clashes that have been ongoing for 23 days has risen to 220 people, including 62 SDF forces.
Since the end of last November (2024), these Kurdish-majority forces have been facing attacks from factions supported by Ankara, to control areas in the northeast of the country, including the city of Tabqa and the center of Raqqa Governorate in the north, and the towns of Al-Khafsa and Miska, west of the Euphrates River.
The SDF controls the entire governorate of Al-Hasakah and the northern eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor governorate. However, its presence close to the Turkish border arouses the ire of Ankara, which has threatened more than once to eliminate those forces unless they lay down their weapons, especially since the latter had exploited during the years of the conflict the gradual withdrawal of Syrian army forces from areas with a Kurdish majority, and took advantage of the vacuum to establish “autonomy.” “In the north.”
It also strengthened its presence during the recent army withdrawals prior to the eighth of last December (2024) and the fall of the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad.
These ongoing clashes today come after meetings and consultations were held between the SDF and the “new political administration” in Damascus, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa (former leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham), in order to reach understandings between the two sides and solve the dilemma of those forces.
Note that Al-Sharaa had previously confirmed more than once that all armed factions in Syria, including the SDF, would hand over their weapons and join the Ministry of Defense.
Last updated: January 4, 2025 – 20:19
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