Turkish-backed fighters kill three Kurdish security personnel in Aleppo attack
As stated by the UK-based SOHR, the attackers attacked a checkpoint using explosive-laden drones, resulting in the casualties.
Dec. 31, 2024
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), three members of the Kurdish-led Internal Security Forces (Asayish) were killed and seven others critically injured in an attack by Turkish-backed fighters in Aleppo's Kurdish-majority al-Ashrafiya neighborhood on Tuesday.
This is the first attack of its kind in Aleppo since Islamist-led rebel factions took control of most of the city in December.
The Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maksoud and al-Ashrafiya have continued to be under Kurdish control amid Syria’s prolonged civil war.
As stated by the UK-based SOHR, the attackers attacked a checkpoint using explosive-laden drones, resulting in the casualties.
A Kurdish security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to AFP that the assault involved a suicide drone operated by pro-Turkey factions.
The two neighborhoods, home to over 300,000 civilians, are now at brinks of further violence, raising fears of a possible siege or significant assault by Turkish-backed groups.
Rami Abdel Rahman, head of SOHR, expressed concerns about the safety of the residents.
“There are fears that those two Kurdish neighborhoods might be besieged or attacked, which would be a big problem because many civilians live there,” Rahman told AFP.
This escalation follows weeks of intensifying clashes between Turkish-backed factions and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a key US ally in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).
Over the past two days, at least 31 fighters have been killed in fierce battles in the Manbij district.
Turkey has long accused the SDF's main component, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), of having ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara deems a terrorist organization.
This accusation reinforces Turkey's justifications to continue military operations in northern Syria.
In the meantime, Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa urged for Kurdish-led forces to be incorporated into a national army during an interview with Al Arabiya on Sunday, indicating possible political shifts amid the ongoing conflict.
The unpredictable situation in Aleppo underlines the delicate security environment in Syria, with civilians bearing the brunt of intensifying hostilities.
