On Wednesday, Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) mercenaries launched an attack on Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-held areas in southern Manbij (Minbîc) and around the Tishreen (Tişrîn) Dam. The attack was thwarted, resulting in the deaths of 63 SNA mercenaries and the downing of a Turkish TB2 Bayraktar unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) by the SDF.
According to an SDF Media Centre statement, their forces eliminated 34 SNA mercenaries, destroyed one tank and four transport vehicles, and damaged two others during Wednesday morning. In the early afternoon, the SDF foiled another attack by a group of 25 mercenaries near the village of Tal Al-Zamala.
The Turkish state supported the attacks with bombings and air strikes. “In parallel with these attacks, heavy artillery barrages continued to target the area,” the SDF statement said.
“Turkish UCAVs conducted intensive reconnaissance flights, targeting several positions of our forces,” the SDF said. As well as targeting military personnel, Turkish UCAVs also targeted a convoy of civilian cars on their way to a peaceful demonstration at the Tishreen Dam, causing civilian deaths and injuries.
The SDF announced the downing of a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone on Tuesday evening, making it the fourth advanced Turkish drone to be shot down by SDF forces in the past month. Turkey has used drones to conduct several attacks on civilians in northeast Syria in the past years, indiscriminately killing civilians.
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A statement released by the SDF Media Centre on Thursday summarised the results of Wednesday’s fighting. “[SDF] forces successfully repelled the [SNA] attack, eliminating 63 mercenaries,” they said. “In addition, [SDF] forces destroyed one tank, five military vehicles and damaged three armoured vehicles.” The SDF reported six of its own fighters killed and nine wounded in Wednesday’s fighting.
Notably, the Turkish state’s bombing has put the Tishreen Dam in danger of collapse. Since the beginning of the fighting in the area in mid-December, the dam’s administration has warned of the dangers of the dam’s possible collapse. With the dam unable to be repaired because of the fighting in the area, the SDF itself has recently drawn attention again to the dangers of a collapse.
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Turkish strikes kill civilians in Syria, as thousands join peace demos at Tishreen Dam
Bombings in the area around the dam continued until Thursday midday, Hawar News Agency reported. This was despite a gathering of civilians at the dam in solidarity with the SDF and YPJ forces and to protect the infrastructure that provides a public service like the dam.
