SDF Launches Counter-Strike Following Drone Attacks by Syrian Government-Affiliated Groups Near Tishrin Dam

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Tuesday that they had executed a military counter-operation against armed factions affiliated with the Syrian government’s Ministry of Defense. The operation, described by the SDF as a measure of legitimate defense, was launched in direct response to a series of suicide drone attacks targeting residential areas and military positions in the vicinity of the Tishrin Dam.

The escalating violence marks a significant deterioration in the security environment of northern Syria, following recent deadly clashes in Aleppo.

In a formal statement released regarding the incident, the SDF leadership detailed the sequence of events that precipitated the retaliatory strike.

According to the SDF, the initial aggression was carried out by specific armed groups identified as the Sultan Murad division, the Sultan Suleiman Shah group (also known as Amshat), and the Hamza Division.

The statement explicitly categorized these entities as being affiliated with the Ministry of Defense of the Syrian government. The SDF reported that these groups utilized suicide drones to target residential zones surrounding the strategic Tishrin Dam, a move the forces characterized as a deliberate attempt to destabilize the region.

The SDF statement described the drone strikes as a "dangerous escalation," warning that such actions threaten the tenuous security and stability that currently exists in the area.

The focus on residential areas in the initial wave of attacks was highlighted by the SDF as particularly egregious, underscoring the risk posed to civilian populations by the introduction of suicide drone technology into the local theater of conflict.

Following the initial barrage, the same armed groups launched a second wave of attacks later in the day. The SDF reported that this subsequent assault involved two additional suicide drones.

The specific target of this second operation was identified as "Syriatel Hill," located in the immediate surroundings of the Tishrin Dam. Despite the renewed attempt to inflict damage, the SDF confirmed in their statement that there were no casualties recorded within their ranks resulting from this specific engagement.

In response to these repeated aerial assaults, the Syrian Democratic Forces initiated what they termed a "legitimate defense" operation. The counter-attack was strategically directed at the point of origin for the drone strikes.

The SDF statement confirmed that their forces successfully targeted the launch site used by the gunmen. The operation resulted in verifiable material and human losses for the attacking factions. Specifically, the SDF reported the destruction of a Toyota military vehicle and the neutralization of a military position occupied by the groups.

The counter-strike also resulted in the killing and wounding of an unspecified number of gunmen belonging to the factions affiliated with the Syrian government.

The exchanges of fire near the Tishrin Dam are not occurring in a vacuum but are part of a broader pattern of rising military tensions across northern Syria. The SDF’s announcement comes in the wake of significant violence recorded earlier this month in the city of Aleppo.

On December 22, the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods became the site of heavy armed clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces and armed groups affiliated with the Syrian government. These neighborhoods, which have frequently been flashpoints in the ongoing conflict, witnessed intense fighting that resulted in confirmed casualties.

The human toll of the recent escalation in Aleppo was detailed by independent monitors. According to statistics provided by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the clashes in the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods on December 22 resulted in the deaths of four individuals.

Additionally, the Observatory reported that 25 others sustained injuries during the fighting. The SDF has pointed to these casualty figures and the intensity of the combat in Aleppo as indicators of a volatile security situation that is rapidly spreading beyond isolated pockets of conflict.

The recurrence of hostilities, moving from the urban centers of Aleppo to the strategic infrastructure around the Tishrin Dam, suggests a widening operational theater for the opposing forces. The use of suicide drones by groups identified as affiliates of the Syrian Ministry of Defense represents a tactical shift that the SDF argues is designed to undermine security protocols in the region.

By targeting both residential areas and specific high-ground positions like Syriatel Hill, the attacking factions appear to be testing the defensive capabilities of the SDF in areas that are critical for regional stability.

The Syrian Democratic Forces have reiterated their commitment to responding to such threats, framing their recent actions as necessary measures to protect the region from further destabilization.

The destruction of the attackers' military assets, including the vehicle and the launch site, was presented by the SDF as a direct consequence of the "dangerous escalation" initiated by the Sultan Murad, Amshat, and Hamza Division groups.

As the situation develops, the risk of a broader expansion of clashes in northern Syria remains a primary concern for observers. The proximity of the attacks to critical infrastructure like the Tishrin Dam, combined with the lethal nature of the clashes in Aleppo, indicates a trajectory of increasing confrontation between the SDF and the armed groups affiliated with the Syrian government.

The SDF’s public detailing of the specific groups involved and their chain of affiliation to the Syrian Ministry of Defense serves to attribute responsibility for the violence directly to the government's proxy forces, setting the stage for potentially further friction in the days to come.