18 dead in Aleppo clashes between SDF and Turkiye-backed forces
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, clashes between Kurdish factions and Turkiye-backed groups in Aleppo province resulted in 18 deaths on both sides.
The death toll of Turkiye-backed fighters has risen to 13 since yesterday, in the ongoing reciprocal attacks near the Tishrin Dam in eastern Aleppo, five members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed by Turkish drone strikes and artillery shells in the same area, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Turkish forces and their allied factions also carried out artillery bombardments in areas within the "Euphrates Shield" zone, including the vicinity of the town of Sarrin south of the city of Kobani and its countryside, the observatory added.
In addition, four Turkish kamikaze drones targeted positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Al-Moftahiya Village, following the SDF's successful downing of a drone in Deir Hafer, southwest of Manbij, Aleppo.
Meanwhile, another drone struck a checkpoint of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) in Sabsy Afnan Village, located in the western countryside of Raqqa.
No casualties were reported from these incidents.
Fighting between the two sides has continued for more than a month with no significant changes in territorial control.
This escalation comes after Syrian government forces collapsed on December 8, with Turkiye-backed factions launching an offensive against Kurdish forces, seizing the towns of Tal Rifaat and Manbij.
The Kurdish-dominated SDF still controls large areas in northeastern Syria and parts of Deir ez-Zor province in the east, particularly on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River.
Earlier today, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his warning to the Syrian Kurdish YPG, a group linked to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), urging them to lay down their arms.
“If the YPG refuses to disarm, they will face an inevitable end,” Erdogan stated.
He further threatened a new cross-border operation against Kurdish militants in Syria if Turkiye perceives a threat, adding, “Turkiye is prepared to take action when necessary.”