Politics Activists: dozens dead in clashes in northern Syria
According to activists, more than 100 fighters have been killed in clashes between Kurdish militias and Turkish-backed forces in northern Syria since Friday. 85 of them belonged to the pro-Turkish forces, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 16 fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have also been killed.
05.01.2025, 11:49
SDA
Fighting in the area surrounding the strategically important city of Manbij has escalated further in recent days, the UK-based monitoring center reported. Turkish air and ground attacks have been intensified. In northern Syria, the Syrian National Army (SNA) is being supported by Turkey in the fight against the SDF.
Battle for the Tishrin Dam
According to the activists, the aim is to gain control of the Tishrin Dam. The dam is important for water and electricity. Control over it brings political, economic and military advantages and is therefore highly contested. The dam is said to have been damaged in the fighting.
The Kurds and the SDF are supported by the United States. While the SDF are an important partner for the USA in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, Turkey sees the militia as an offshoot of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) - and therefore as a terrorist organization.
Since the fall of Syria's long-term ruler Bashar al-Assad at the beginning of December, pro-Turkish fighters have been advancing further into Kurdish areas in northern Syria. Turkey is accused of wanting to use the power vacuum in Syria to break up the areas under the administration of Kurdish militias in the north of the country.
