Mazloum Abdi, General Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and Rohilat Afrin, a senior member of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), visited Tishreen Dam on Friday alongside representatives of the International Coalition.
The visit aimed to support local protesters who have maintained a sit-in at the dam since 8 January to protect it from attacks by Turkish forces and their allied Syrian National Army (SNA), a coalition of Turkish-backed militias. The SDF, a multi-ethnic alliance led by Kurdish forces, and the YPJ, its women’s military wing, are key actors in defending North and East Syria.
The protesters, residents of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), a self-governing region, view the Tishreen Dam as a critical asset for water and electricity supply. During the visit, Abdi and Afrin addressed the crowd, praising their resilience in safeguarding the dam and the region’s revolutionary achievements. “The resistance at Tishreen Dam protects our people’s gains,” Abdi stated, highlighting the need for unity across Syria’s diverse communities.
The Tishreen Dam, located on the Euphrates River, has been a focal point of conflict due to its strategic importance. Since 2024, Turkish forces and the SNA have targeted SDF-controlled areas, including the dam, causing damage to nearby infrastructure like the al-Khafsah water station, which was repaired in March 2025 following an SDF-Syrian government agreement. The International Coalition, primarily led by the United States, supports the SDF in countering regional threats, including Turkish incursions and remnant Islamic State elements.
The visit follows recent regional developments, including an agreement on 1 April between the SDF and the Syrian interim government to integrate Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, into government-administered areas. This deal involved prisoner swaps and the withdrawal of 480 SDF fighters from Aleppo on 9 April, reflecting shifting alliances amid ongoing Turkish aggression.
Abdi and Afrin urged protesters to remain vigilant, stressing the dam’s role in Syria’s stability. “A secure homeland requires equal rights for all,” Afrin said, underscoring the AANES’s vision for a decentralised Syria. The sit-in continues as a symbol of resistance against external threats.
