More than 100 fatalities reported amid clashes involving US and Turkish proxy forces in Syria
Over the past 48 hours, hostilities in northern Syria have reportedly resulted in the deaths of more than 100 militants, according to a London-based war monitoring organization. The clashes involve Turkish-backed factions and Kurdish forces that receive support from the United States.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that since Friday evening, violent clashes in various villages surrounding the city of Manbij have resulted in 101 fatalities.
The report stated that the casualties comprised 85 individuals from pro-Turkish factions and 16 members affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that it successfully thwarted a series of assaults by armed groups aligned with Turkey, backed by Turkish drone and air support.
Supported by United States military forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) maintain control over extensive regions in northeastern Syria as well as segments of the Dayr al-Zawr province in the east. This development follows the departure of government forces amid the conflict that erupted in 2011.
The group widely considered a proxy of the United States assumed control over significant portions of the territory, including Raqqa, following the expulsion of Daesh militants from the region.
Mohammed al-Julani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant governing force in Syria, has indicated plans to incorporate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the nation’s prospective military structure.
During their visit to Damascus on behalf of the European Union this week, the foreign ministers of Germany and France emphasized the necessity of including Kurdish representation in Syria’s transitional process. They indicated that such involvement is essential for securing backing from Europe.
Germany and France have a documented history of offering military training and supplying arms to Kurdish militants.
In a statement made last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on international actors to cease their backing of Kurdish militant groups operating in Syria.
In an official statement issued by his office, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asserted that there is no longer a justification for external assistance to Kurdish militants affiliated with the People’s Protection Units (YPG), who are a central component of the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Ankara regards the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group that has waged a long-standing insurgency in Turkey’s southeast and is designated by the Turkish government as a terrorist organization.
The Turkish armed forces conduct regular military operations targeting Kurdish militant groups in Syria and Iraq, which they allege have connections to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
On November 27, Turkey’s allied forces seized control of Manbij and Tal Rifaat in Syria’s northern Aleppo province from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during an offensive led by militants and Takfiri extremists. This attack culminated in the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad just 11 days afterward.
In a recent statement, Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Guler revealed plans by Ankara to remove Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militants from the northern Syrian cities of Kobani and Raqqa. The strategy involves disarming the militants and reallocating their weapons to the control of the HTS administration.
