Over 100 combatants killed in intensified clashes between SDF, Turkish-backed forces in Rojava

The Observatory stated that since Friday evening, violent clashes in multiple villages surrounding the city of Manbij led to the deaths of 85 members of Turkish-backed factions and 16 SDF fighters.

A U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighter stands on his armored vehicle. (Photo: AP)
A U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighter stands on his armored vehicle. (Photo: AP)

Jan. 5, 2025

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Sunday that fierce clashes in Rojava (Western Kurdistan) over the past two days have resulted in a significant number of deaths, claiming the lives of more than 100 combatants, as hostilities deepen between Turkish-backed groups and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The Observatory stated that since Friday evening, violent clashes in multiple villages surrounding the city of Manbij led to the deaths of 85 members of Turkish-backed factions and 16 SDF fighters.

The conflict is reportedly fueled by Turkey's strategic support, including drone and aerial operations.

In a statement, the SDF stated it had effectively thwarted “all the attacks from Turkey’s mercenaries,” ascribing the intensification of clashes to Turkish military support.

The rekindled conflicts overlap with a broader campaign by Turkish-aligned factions, including Islamist-led rebels, who have attempted to expand their territorial control since November 27.

On that date, an offensive led by these groups resulted in the capture of Manbij and Tal Rifaat from the SDF.

As stated by Rami Abdel Rahman, the director of the Observatory, the ultimate aim of Turkish-backed forces is to control Kobani and Tabqa, with a longer-term objective of moving toward Raqqa, the former de facto capital of the Islamic State group.

The SDF, a Kurdish-led alliance supported by the United States, governs large swaths of northeastern Syria, including parts of Deir Ezzor province.

The group established an Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in areas evacuated by the Syrian government amid the civil war that erupted in 2011.

Over the years, the SDF has played a vital role in the fight against ISIS, markedly liberating Raqqa in 2017.

Turkey, however, sees the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a designated terrorist organization that has waged an insurgency in Turkey since the 1980s.

This has made the SDF a recurrent target of Turkish military operations, with Ankara accusing the group of threatening its national security.