Syrian Kurdish forces, pro-Turkey fighters reach ceasefire in Manbij

General Mazloum Abdi, the top commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), October 2024. Photo: AFP

218 people killed in Syria’s fighting between pro-Turkey Islamist SNA militants and Kurdish forces, says monitor

QAMISHLO,— General Mazloum Abdi, the top commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the de facto army of the autonomous Kurdish administration in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), announced early Wednesday that a ceasefire agreement had been reached between his forces and the Turkey-backed Islamist fighters known as Syrian National Army (SNA) in the city of Manbij. The ceasefire was brokered through U.S. mediation.

In a statement shared via the social media platform X, Abdi emphasized that while SDF fighters in Manbij continued to resist attacks aimed at expanding beyond the Euphrates River, the ceasefire was essential to protect civilians.

He said, “Our fighters in the city of Manbij are determined to stop further expansion of the attacks west of the Euphrates. We have agreed to this ceasefire to ensure the safety and security of civilians.”

Abdi also stressed that the broader goal of this ceasefire is to pave the way for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and a political solution for the country’s future.

The Kurdish-led SDF forces, liberated Manbij from the Islamic State (ISIS) in August 2016 after a two-month-long offensive.

Abdi added that the “Manbij Military Council fighters, who have been defending the area since November 27, will leave as soon as possible.” He also emphasized that their main goal is to achieve a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and start a political process to shape the country’s future.

The announcement came amid intense fighting between Turkish-backed and Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, the clashes have claimed the lives of at least 218 people over the past three days. The majority of the casualties were reported to be fighters from both pro-Kurdish and pro-Turkey Islamist factions engaged in the battle for control of Manbij.

Turkish-backed mercenary forces have been attempting to seize the city from the SDF for days, but they have encountered fierce resistance from the SDF-affiliated Manbij Military Council.

On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that the city had been “liberated” from the SDF, and Turkish media broadcasted videos suggesting that pro-Turkey fighters had entered the city.

The Kurdish-led administration, known as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, promotes a decentralized, secular system focused on gender equality, direct democracy, and environmental responsibility.

This administration includes the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which leads the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), and its military wing, the YPG/YPJ, which played a crucial role in the defeat of ISIS in Syria.

The Kurdish YPG forces, which forms the backbone of the SDF, have been considered the most effective in the fight against ISIS and has received support from the United States, including weapons and training.

In March 2019, the Kurdish forces expelled ISIS from its last stronghold in the village of Baghouz. Since then, approximately 12,000 suspected ISIS fighters have been held in Kurdish-controlled prisons.

According to Syrian Democratic Council, more than 21,000 Kurdish fighters, both men and women, have lost their lives in the battle against ISIS. The Kurdish forces helped dismantle what was once a vast ISIS “caliphate” spanning parts of Syria and Iraq.