Click to see the full-size image
Clashes between the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reignited in the eastern Aleppo countryside on January 23 and 24, with Ankara’s allies taking most of the casualties.
The clashes began with an attack by the SDF targeting positions of the SNA close to the towns of Abu Qalqal, Tell Arish, and Qalat Najm. The attack claimed the lives of five Turkish-backed fighters. Following the attack, the fighting moved to the vicinity of the Tishreen Dam on the Euphrates River, where another fighter of the SNA was killed.
The next day, the clashes expanded to the vicinity of the Karakozak bridge, also located on the Euphrates, with both sides exchanging artillery strikes.
On the same day, the SDF launched another attack against SNA positions near the towns of al-Hawshaiyah and Deir Hafer, killing at least nine fighters.
It’s worth noting that violent Turkish airstrikes hit the vicinity of the Tishreen Dam and nearby towns on January 23 and 24, with no reports of any casualties.
The clashes came amid reports of talks between the SDF and Turkey as well as the new government in Damascus, which is led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham that has not yet joined the battle against the United States-backed Kurdish-led group.
Commenting on the situation with the SDF, de facto Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said on January 23 that his government does not seek bloodshed with the group.
Sharaa said that the SDF was the only Syrian armed group to have not so far agreed to surrender its weapons to the new Syrian defence ministry. The leader added that he would dedicate time to negotiations with the Kurdish-led group.
“We are considering negotiating and sitting down with them. Our goal is to find a middle ground,” he said. “As is well known, the Kurdish people in that region did not even have citizenship rights in the past. Many injustices were committed in the past, especially during Bashar al-Assad’s former regime.”
The new Syrian defence minister, Murhaf Abu Qasra, told reporters earlier this week that his administration was open to talks with the SDF on their integration into the national army but stood ready to use force should negotiations fail.
Prior to that, SDF’s leader Mazloum Abdi said his forces would not disarm or dissolve, but underlined their willingness to join a unified future Syrian army via negotiations with the new Syrian defence ministry.
Overall, all sides appear to be making efforts to avoid an all-out conflict in northeastern Syria. Still, the deadly clashes in the eastern Aleppo countryside could get out of control.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
