Syrian Democratic Forces Thwart Turkish-backed Infiltration Attempt in Northern Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – In the latest in a spate of clashes across Syria’s Kurdish-majority territories, SDF claimed repelling yet another incursion attempt by Turkish-backed factions on Thursday night.
The attempted infiltration hit the village of Abduki, west of Tal Abyad in Syria’s northern countryside, a district which has remained at the heart of contested territory since the incursion of Turkish forces into Kurdish enclaves in northern Syria in 2018.
The SDF media office stated that “the Turkish occupation’s mercenaries” launched the infiltration attempt into Abduki village of the western countryside of Tal Abyad, locally known as Gire Sipi, in the Euphrates region of North and East Syria. According to SDF reports, the attempted infiltration resulted in fierce clashes with reports of casualties among the Turkish-backed groups. The situation remained volatile with ongoing exchanges of fire well into the early hours.
Other than the attempted infiltration in Abduki, the surrounding countryside of Ain Issa, another key city in this region, also came under artillery shelling from Turkish forces, marking an escalation in Turkish-Kurdish skirmishes across the northeast.
Background on Turkish Incursions in Northern Syria
Northern Syria has witnessed periodic incursions by Turkish forces and Turkish-backed militias since 2018, especially in Kurdish-controlled regions. Turkey’s first large-scale incursion, Operation Olive Branch, focused on the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in northwestern Syria and caused massive displacements among Kurdish civilians.
The second operation, Operation Peace Spring, launched in October 2019, aimed at a “safe zone” along the border between Turkey and Syria, uprooting thousands more in the Kurdish areas of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ayn.
This series of Turkish incursions has results in an ongoing conflict, particularly in the contested border areas around Tal Abyad, Ain Issa, and Ras al-Ayn. Factions aligned with Turkey, consisting for the most part of Syrian opposition militia supported by Turkey, often engage in clashes with SDF forces over control of these strategic locations.
Local populations have been forced to deal with wave after wave of displacement and destruction as civilian areas become battlegrounds.
Growing Tensions over Tal Abyad and Ain Issa
Thursday’s clash in Abduki is the latest in a string of escalations in the Tal Abyad region. The area, under SDF control, holds strategic importance for both Turkey and the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria. Tal Abyad lies on the Syrian-Turkish border, so it represents a very important point to secure regional stability and control northern access routes.
Only last week, on November 18, the SDF foiled a similar infiltration attempt by Turkish-backed factions near Abduki village. The SDF reported the killing of five members of the Turkish-backed forces and four others injured in the ensuing firefight.
The successive incidents of aggression hint at an organized drive by the Turkish-backed groups to regain ground in the SDF-controlled territories, which, if succeeded with, could dramatically alter the balance of power in the region.
The SDF has said it keeps a defensive posture in response to the continued incursions but warns that further escalations could lead to broader confrontations. The Kurdish-led force also reiterated its commitment to defending its territories, while, at the same time, the ongoing conflict with Turkish forces diverts attention from what it considers an urgent mission of preventing the resurgence of ISIS cells in the region.