Turkish-backed forces target Kurdish-controlled territories in Syria

More than 100 fighters have been killed over the past two days in fierce clashes in northern Syria between Turkish-backed armed factions and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Sunday.

The Turkish-backed forces are reportedly aiming to seize the cities of Kobani and Tabaqa, with plans to advance toward Raqqa. Their ultimate goal is to expel the SDF from territories under Kurdish control. 

The SDF currently controls vast areas in northeastern Syria and parts of Deir ez-Zor province, where the Kurds have established an autonomous administration since the early stages of Syria’s civil war in 2011.

Turkey considers the SDF an extension of its long-standing adversary, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group labeled a terrorist organization by Ankara and other countries. 

As a result, Turkish forces frequently target Kurdish fighters in Syria and Iraq, viewing their presence as a direct security threat.

The new leader of Syria, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, head of the radical Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTC), which led the coalition of rebel factions that ousted Bashar al-Assad's regime on December 8, has made a surprising statement regarding the SDF. 

Al-Sharaa has proposed integrating the Kurdish-led forces into a future Syrian national army, a potential shift in approach aimed at consolidating power and reducing internal divisions.

This comes after HTC and its allied factions took control of much of Syria, including the capital Damascus, prompting Assad to flee to Moscow. The new coalition government, dominated by HTC, now controls significant parts of the country.

The ongoing conflict in northern Syria highlights the continued volatility in the region. Turkish-backed forces’ attempts to expand their influence clash directly with Kurdish aspirations for autonomy, leading to frequent and bloody confrontations.