Above photo: Fighters affiliated with the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army faction, patrol through a road in the northeastern Manbij region, in Aleppo province on January 4, 2025. AFP.
Erdogan vows Kurds will face ‘Turkey’s iron fist’.
Since the Syrian regime change, there has been almost constant fighting between the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) and the US-backed Kurdish SDF. That fighting is escalating precipitously, with over 100 combatants killed over the last 48 hours, and no signs of the fight slowing down.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 85 SNA fighters killed in that span of time, along with 16 SDF fighters. Turkey’s own Defense Ministry claimed they had “neutralized” 32 Kurds across the north, but didn’t offer specific details.
Turkey and its SNA have taken virtually the whole area around Manbij, the initial focus of this offensive, but have since moved on to attacking the Tishreen Dam and Kobane. It is expected they’ll also attempt to take al-Tabqa, giving them a route to attack the major city of Raqqa.
Most of the casualties in the last 48 hours were in fighting around Kobane, and the SDF has reported that they have repelled all the attacks on that area. It doesn’t seem likely that’s going to end the matter, however.
Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that the “revolution” in Syria marks the end for Kurdish “separatist terrorists.” He said he believes the new Islamist government will move against the Kurds, and that they will also face “Turkey’s iron fist.”
Turkey and the SNA heavily backed the regime change, even though it led to the installation of al-Qaeda-linked Islamists in power. Turkey has long believed that a Syria dominated by Sunni Arabs would crack down harder on the autonomous ambitions of the Kurds.
The US has so far not gotten directly involved, though Turkey is demanding they stop supporting the Kurds. US forces have recently begun setting up a base in Kobane as well, suggesting direct US involvement is going to happen sooner rather than later.
Beyond backing the SNA offensive against the SDF, Turkey has also launched artillery attacks from the city of Jarabulus against Tishreen Dam, and drone strikes against a house on the outskirts of Kobane. A Turkish drone was also reported to have destroyed a vehicle near Tishreen Dam, though no casualties were reported there.