Turkish artillery strikes Northern Syria as clashes with SDF persist
Shafaq News/ On Monday, artillery fire from Turkish-backed factions targeted a village in northern Syria, while clashes with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) persisted in other areas.
Reports indicated that Turkish artillery shelled the village of Al-Tarwaziya in the countryside of Tal Abyad, while clashes continued around the Tishrin Dam and villages southeast of Manbij.
In turn, the SDF, predominantly composed of Kurdish fighters and supported by the United States, confirmed in their latest statement that they had “thwarted all attacks by the factions, which were backed by Turkish warplanes and drones,” adding, “The clashes concentrated around the Syriatel Hill and Abu Said Farm, where 13 Turkish-backed fighters were killed.”
The SDF also pointed out that they hit Turkish-backed faction positions and vehicles “13 times,” confirming that they lost 11 fighters in their ranks during the clashes.
On Sunday, a Turkish drone targeted a car near Tishrin Dam and a house in the town of Serekaniye, in Ain al-Arab (Kobani), the eastern countryside of Aleppo.
Over 100 people were killed over two days, until Sunday morning, in ongoing clashes between Turkish-backed factions and the SDF in the countryside of Manbij, northern Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Clash Background
The escalation follows a surprise attack by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions on November 27 from their northwest Syria stronghold, overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad's regime. At the same time, Turkiye-backed factions launched an assault on Kurdish forces, capturing Tal Rifaat and Manbij. Since then, clashes between the two sides have continued in the countryside of Manbij, despite a declared ceasefire.
The SOHR reported that in 2024, 88 Syrian civilians, including 17 children, 6 women, and 65 men and young people, were killed by Turkish forces through gunfire from border guards, artillery, and airstrikes from warplanes and drones in areas controlled by the self-administration, Kurdish forces' positions, and other areas in Idlib, Al-Hasakah, and Aleppo. At least 103 military personnel were reportedly killed in similar circumstances.
