23 Turkish-backed Syrian Islamist fighters killed in clash with Kurds

MANBIJ,— At least 24 fighters, mostly aligned with Turkish-backed Syrian Islamist groups, were killed in intense clashes with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near the northern city of Manbij, according to a war monitor on Thursday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, reported that the violence claimed the lives of 23 fighters from Turkish-backed mercenary fighters and one member of the Manbij Military Council, a local unit affiliated with the SDF.

The conflict flared when Ankara-backed fighters launched attacks on two villages south of Manbij, the Observatory stated.

The region, part of a Kurdish-led administration in northern Syria, has long been a hotspot of tension. The SDF, the de facto army of the autonomous Kurdish-ed administration in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), backed by the United States, played a pivotal role in defeating the last territorial stronghold of the Islamic State group in 2019.

However, Turkey accuses the SDF’s key component, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), of ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The clashes have centered around the predominantly Arab city of Manbij, controlled by the Manbij Military Council, which operates under the SDF umbrella. Fighting continued Thursday in areas south and east of the city, with Turkish forces reportedly using drones and heavy artillery, the Observatory added.

The SDF confirmed it had repelled the attacks. “Early this morning, mercenary groups, supported by five Turkish drones, tanks, and advanced armored vehicles, launched violent assaults on several villages in the Manbij area,” the SDF said in a statement.

“Our fighters successfully pushed back all the attacks, eliminating dozens of mercenaries and destroying six armored vehicles, including a tank.” the statement said.

Turkey has conducted multiple military operations against the SDF since 2016.

In recent weeks, Turkish-backed groups have seized control of several Kurdish towns in northern Syria, escalating tensions across the region.

The latest violence comes amid broader turmoil in Syria, where Islamist forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have capitalized on instability since the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad on December 8, 2024.

(With files from AFP)