Collapse of the Ceasefire Between SDF and Turkey and Intensification of Fighting in Northern Syria

Collapse of the Ceasefire Between SDF and Turkey and Intensification of Fighting in Northern Syria
December 24, 2024, 11:11 am

الجيش التركي \ متداول

Two weeks after the announcement of the ceasefire, the agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkey has completely collapsed. Turkish artillery targeted SDF positions near the Tishrin Dam in the Manbij region, according to a reporter from Al Arabiya/Al Hadath.

The reporter noted that fierce clashes erupted in the countryside around the city of Manbij between the SDF and armed factions, adding that the SDF reached the town of Qalqil without being able to enter it, indicating they are about 15 kilometers away from Manbij.

For its part, the SDF announced that 16 of its members have been killed since the start of the clashes about two weeks ago.

The intensity of battles in northern Syria has been increasing since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, as the United States mediated a fragile ceasefire between Turkey and the SDF.

The SDF, led by Kurds and supported by the U.S., pledged on Thursday to fight Turkey and the groups supported by it in the city of Ayn al-Arab (Kobani) in northern Syria, which was the scene of a decisive battle against ISIS at its height in 2014.

Between 2016 and 2019, Turkey, a NATO member, launched three extensive operations targeting both ISIS and the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), according to Agence France-Presse.

Since those operations, Ankara has deployed its forces in the region, with estimates today placing their number between 16,000 and 18,000 personnel, according to Omer Celik, spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

It is noteworthy that events in Syria have accelerated significantly over the past two weeks, as the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad fell and armed factions advanced toward Damascus after controlling most major cities, some of which are allied with Turkey.

This development has contributed to strengthening Ankara's position in the Syrian equation, while Iranian and Russian influence has waned, prompting it to also demand that the issue of the "Kurdish forces" be addressed definitively before any action is taken, suggesting a possible imminent attack.

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