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Continued Clashes Between SDF and Armed Factions Loyal to Ankara Around the Tishrin Dam
Clashes continue between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and armed factions loyal to Ankara in northern Syria, with renewed fighting around the Tishrin Dam after nearly a month of continuous combat.
In a statement issued today, the SDF media center confirmed that attempts to attack the Tishrin Dam had been thwarted, noting that Kurdish forces had inflicted significant losses on Turkish-backed factions across multiple fronts. The statement also mentioned the destruction of armored military vehicles and radar sites, in addition to targeting the factions' gatherings despite Turkish support through drones.
On the other hand, reports indicated that Turkish drones have been flying heavily since Sunday evening until Monday morning over the Tishrin Dam countryside, accompanied by intense artillery shelling using Grad missiles.
It is worth mentioning that armed factions launched an attack on the villages of "Aloush" and "Tel Arish" yesterday, but SDF was able to repel their assault, according to the media center.
As a result of the clashes, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported over 100 casualties among the SDF and factions during Saturday and Sunday. The fighting has also intensified in the countryside of Manbij in northern Syria as Turkish forces have increased their air and ground attacks.
Since the end of November 2024, the predominantly Kurdish SDF has faced repeated attacks from Ankara-backed factions in an effort to gain control over areas in northeastern Syria, including the city of Tabqa, the center of Raqqa province, and the towns of Al-Hasakah and Maskanah west of the Euphrates River. Despite the SDF controlling all of Hasakah province and the northern eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, their proximity to the Turkish border raises concerns for Ankara, which has repeatedly threatened to eliminate the SDF unless they relinquish their weapons.
It is noteworthy that the SDF has exploited the gradual withdrawal of the Syrian army from predominantly Kurdish areas to establish "self-rule" in the north and has solidified its presence following the army's recent withdrawal ahead of December 8, 2024, and the fall of the former president Bashar al-Assad's regime.
