Fighting between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) in northern Syria has moved west of the Euphrates towards northern Syria’s Manbij (Minbîc) countryside, the Rojava Information Centre (RIC) reported.
After several days of intense fighting around the Euphrates, which forms a line of defence between the Qara Quzaq bridge and the Tishreen (Tişrîn) dam, the SDF, primarily based on the east, carried out operations on the SNA-dominated west bank of the river, towards Manbij, amid continued Turkish bombardment and attacks by SNA mercenaries. The threat of an invasion of the city of Kobani (Kobanê), north of Qara Quzaq, remains high, according to an SDF media officer.
Intense fighting broke out on Tuesday morning between the SDF and the SNA. SNA mercenaries are reported to be surrendering to SDF forces or abandoning their positions in the Manbij countryside.
Turkish shelling bombarded the Qara Quzaq bridge and three villages in the countryside southwest of Kobani from Monday night to the early hours of Tuesday. As yet the damage remains unclear.
The Turkish army attempted to establish a military base and radio system near the Qara Quzaq bridge, according to the SDF, who said in a press release that they had carried out drone attacks on military infrastructure, destroyingTurkish radio equipment and military vehicles. The SDF published video footage of their operation.
Several Turkish Occupation Vehicles and Portable Radar Systems Destroyed in an Under-Construction Turkish Base in Manbij
Following the collapse of the Baathist regime in Damascus, the Turkish occupation has continued to exploit the prevailing conditions in Syria. This includes… pic.twitter.com/k1BDtgd5CY
— Siyamend AIi (@SiyamandAli) December 30, 2024
People’s Protection Units (YPG) spokesman Siyamend Ali commented on the possibility of a ceasefire. “Turkey […] violated the [previous] ceasefire agreement and Turkish planes did not stop bombing for a single moment”, he said, adding, “There is no serious discussion about the ceasefire with Turkey and violent clashes are continuing between our forces and the forces of the Turkish state and its mercenaries.”
On Tuesday, footage from the Tishreen dam showed it to be in the hands of the SDF. This result came after days of fighting that resulted in hundreds of casualties among the ranks of the SNA.
The Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) General Command announced on Tuesday that YPJ fighter Yildiz Jiya, originally from Kobani, had fallen in the fighting while taking part in the defence of the Qara Quzaq bridge. The YPJ General Command praised her courage and offered condolences to her family and all YPJ fighters.
Recent reports say that the SDF shot down a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV or drone) near the Qara Quzaq bridge late on Tuesday night.
