The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have received significant support from international groups, as they face a renewed offensive by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Turkish-backed forces. This conflict, characterised by widespread displacement and suffering, has increased instability in the region and drawn international condemnation.
The Syrian conflict has escalated as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), alongside Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) forces, launched a major offensive in northern Syria, seizing parts of Aleppo and deepening the humanitarian crisis. More than 200,000 people have been displaced, with many taking refuge in improvised shelters along the Euphrates River. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have mobilised reinforcements to protect key areas, particularly Kurdish neighbourhoods in Aleppo and refugee camps in the Shahba region.
The offensive, coordinated between HTS and SNA forces, comes amid wider regional instability. The International League of Peoples’ Struggle and the anarchist group Tekoşina Anarşist (Anarchist Struggle) have expressed strong support for the SDF. Both groups condemned the offensive, with the League criticising what it called a “genocidal war” waged by imperialist forces. Tekoşina Anarşist warned of a possible resurgence of ISIS-style atrocities, highlighting HTS alliance with former jihadist fighters and urging international solidarity with the SDF.
“We, as anarchists and as internationalists in Rojava, will play our role in these challenging times. We will fight alongside the SDF to defend and spread the revolutionary project, building a stateless society where the principles of democratic confederalism, pluralism and women’s revolution prevail. We call for all anarchist and other revolutionary forces, now more than ever, to defend Rojava!”, wrote Tekoşina Anarşist.
“This renewed aggression targets the same communities displaced by Turkey’s 2018 invasion of Afrin,” an SDF spokesman said, highlighting the dire humanitarian conditions,” they wrote.
Meanwhile, ILPF accused the US, Turkey and Israel of pursuing imperialist agendas, noting that Turkey’s support for HTS aims to exploit regional chaos for its own geopolitical gain.
The escalation of the conflict also affects Syria’s geopolitical alliances. Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hezbollah and the violence in Gaza have strained Iran’s ability to support Syria, while Russia, preoccupied with the war in Ukraine, has scaled back its ground operations, focusing instead on heavy airstrikes on Idlib and Aleppo. Western media have been criticised for portraying HTS as a ‘revolutionary opposition’, while critics point to the group’s extremist roots and ambitions to establish a hardline Islamic state.
Despite these challenges, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria remains steadfast. “The Rojava revolution is a beacon of hope for a democratic, stateless society,” wrote Tekoşina Anarşist, urging global support for the SDF’s efforts. Both groups have called for international solidarity to counter what they see as a genocidal onslaught that threatens the future of the region.
As the Syrian Democratic Forces continue to resist the HTS and Turkish-backed offensive, international support from internationalist and anarchist movements underlines the wider ideological struggle unfolding in Syria. The outcome of this conflict could reshape the political landscape of the region, with implications beyond Syria’s borders.
