Syria’s Kurdish-led SDF Announces Casualties Among Turkish-Backed Factions in Manbij 

MANBIJ, Syria (North Press) – On Thursday evening, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that they successfully repelled large-scale attacks by Turkish-backed factions in the countryside of Manbij, resulting in dozens of casualties among the attacking forces.

Details of the Attack

In a statement, the SDF reported that Turkey and its allied factions, bolstered by hundreds of fighters from the al-Qaeda-affiliated Guardians of Religion (Hurras al-Din) of Uzbek, Turkistani, and Chechen nationalities, launched intense assaults on villages south and east of Manbij, as well as near the Tishreen Dam.

The SDF claimed that their forces successfully repelled these attacks, killing and injuring dozens of Turkish-backed fighters. Additionally, they destroyed six armored vehicles, including a tank and two vehicles equipped with DShK heavy machine guns.

Turkish-Backed Escalation

The statement detailed that earlier in the day, Turkish-backed factions, supported by five drones, tanks, and armored vehicles, conducted heavy attacks on villages including al-Atshanah, al-Saeedeen, Khirbet Tawaini, Sheikh Obaid al-Mustafa, Khirbet Zamalah, al-Mastaha, Saeedeen, Tal Siryatel, and Khirbet Aloush in the southern and eastern countryside of Manbij.

Concerns Over Tishreen Dam

The SDF expressed alarm over the Turkish escalation, which included drone strikes and heavy artillery shelling targeting the Tishreen Dam and its surroundings. The strikes caused significant damage to parts of the dam, raising concerns about its potential collapse and the humanitarian and ecological disaster such an event could trigger.

The latest violence highlights the ongoing tension and instability in northern Syria, where Turkish forces and their allied factions frequently clash with the SDF. Observers warn of the risk of further escalation in the region.