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Deadly Clashes Between SDF and Turkey-Aligned Factions in Northeastern Syria
Clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkey-aligned factions have continued in northeastern Syria for several weeks.
A correspondent for Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath reported that SDF forces repelled several attacks in the countryside of Manbij and Tishrin Dam, with ongoing clashes resulting in the deaths of more than 100 individuals over two days, up to early Sunday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The observatory clarified that the death toll reached 101 people by early Sunday, consisting of 85 from Turkey-backed factions and 16 from the Syrian Democratic Forces and associated military formations.
In this context, the director of the observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, told Agence France-Presse that the clashes are concentrated in the southern and southeastern countryside of Manbij.
For its part, the Syrian Democratic Forces, which are primarily composed of Kurdish fighters, announced on Saturday that they had successfully thwarted all attacks supported by warplanes and drones on areas in eastern and southern Manbij and northern Tishrin Dam.
The correspondent also reported sporadic clashes in recent hours between the SDF and factions in the southern and eastern countryside of Manbij, confirming that Turkish warplanes targeted the vicinity of Tishrin Dam and the city of Deir Hafer with several strikes.
The death toll from the ongoing clashes, which have lasted for 23 days, has risen to 220, including 62 members of the SDF.
Since the end of November 2024, the predominantly Kurdish SDF has faced attacks from factions supported by Ankara, which seek to control areas in northeastern Syria, including the city of Tabqa and the provincial center of Raqqa to the north, as well as the towns of Khafsah and Maskanah to the west of the Euphrates River.
The SDF controls all of Hasakah province and the northern eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor province. The SDF reported that Turkey-backed forces launched a wide-ranging attack on several villages south and east of Manbij, but they succeeded in repelling this attack.
On the other hand, the Turkish army shelled the area surrounding Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates River with artillery and also used drones during the attack.
The region hosts a Turkish military presence, as Ankara has carried out “Euphrates Shield”, “Olive Branch”, and “Peace Spring” operations against ISIS, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and the SDF.
