-
Shelling and Clashes: Escalation of Fighting in Eastern Aleppo Countryside
Clashes have renewed in the strategically important eastern Aleppo countryside, where Turkish forces shelled the area around the Karkuzak Bridge and the town of Sere Kaniye. In this context, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) targeted a Turkish base west of the Euphrates River with mortars, with no reports of casualties.
Today, clashes broke out along the Tishrin Dam fronts east of Aleppo between SDF and Turkey-aligned factions due to the latter's attack on SDF positions, which successfully repelled the assault and shot down a drone that was targeting the sites. Additionally, factions of the "National Army" launched an attack on SDF points at the Karkuzak Bridge axis, resulting in clashes, although no casualties have been reported.
In the Deir Hafer fronts, "National Army" factions launched five suicide drones at SDF gatherings, causing injuries among their members. It is noteworthy that yesterday, Turkish forces shelled the vicinity of the town of Sere Kaniye, injuring one civilian, while a member of the Northern Brigade was killed while dismantling explosives east of Manbij.
For their part, Turkish forces and their allied factions shelled the village of Qarareesh in the southern countryside of Ain al-Arab (Kobani) with more than 25 shells. SDF also targeted Turkish positions and their allied factions with artillery and rockets, with no reports of casualties.
According to documentation by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, since the escalation began on December 12, 2024, the death toll has reached 631 individuals, including 56 civilians (7 women, four children, and a journalist), 470 members of Turkey-aligned factions, 102 members of the SDF, as well as three members of Turkish forces.
These Turkish attacks represent an unprecedented escalation at a time when Ankara is attempting to impose a new field reality amid increasing calls to halt the escalation.
