2024 Manbij offensive

Last updated

2024 Manbij offensive
Part of Operation Dawn of Freedom and Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war
Operation Dawn of Freedom.jpg

  Controlled by the Syrian Interim Government
  Controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces
Date6–11 December 2024 (5 days)
Location
Manbij District in Aleppo Governorate, Syria
Result Turkish–SNA victory
Territorial
changes		 SNA captures Manbij [1]
Belligerents
Syrian revolution flag.svg Syrian Interim Government
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey [2]

De facto SA-NES Flag.svg  Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria

  • Manbij Region
Units involved

Syrian revolution flag.svg Syrian National Army

Standard of General staff of Turkish Armed Forces.svg Turkish Armed Forces

Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svg Syrian Democratic Forces

Casualties and losses
Syrian revolution flag.svg 45+ killed [a]
Syrian revolution flag.svg Dozens killed or injured (SDF claim) [13] [6]
Syrian revolution flag.svg 14 captured (SDF claim) [14]
Syrian revolution flag.svg 3 vehicles destroyed (SDF claim) [14] 		Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svg 112+ killed [b]
Tens of wounded fighters executed by SNA [17]
3 injured [8]
11 [18] –12 civilians killed by Turkish drone[ citation needed ]
3 civilians executed by Turkish-backed factions [19]
Several civilians displaced [7]

The 2024 Manbij offensive was a military campaign launched by the pro-Turkish Syrian National Army (SNA) and the Turkish Air Force against Syrian Democratic Forces positions in Manbij lasting from 6 to 11 December 2024. It was a part of Operation Dawn of Freedom, and occurred concurrently with the Deir ez-Zor offensive and the wider Syrian opposition offensives. The SDF withdrew their troops on 11 December after five days of conflict following a US-brokered ceasefire agreement. [1]

Contents

Background

Following the capture of Tell Rifaat, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) announced a military campaign targeting Manbij, a strategic city in the eastern Aleppo countryside. This offensive held particular significance as Manbij represented the final Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-controlled territory west of the Euphrates River, where the group maintained its presence with U.S. military support. The opposition's military operations occurred as part of Operation Dawn of Freedom simultaneously with Operation Deterrence of Aggression, which advanced from Idlib toward Homs. [20]

The Dawn of Freedom operations room, a component of the SNA, articulated that while their primary objective remained the removal of the Assad government, they were compelled to engage the SDF due to what they characterized as attacks on opposition-held villages in the Aleppo countryside. The operations room issued civilian safety advisories for Manbij residents, requesting they maintain distance from military installations. [20]

Turkish authorities reportedly rejected Russian-mediated communication attempts with the SDF, maintaining their position that the group represented a Syrian extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Prior to the offensive, Turkey had issued military ultimatums to the SDF demanding their withdrawal east of the Euphrates River, which the SDF declined to accept. [21]

On 4 December 2024, SDF reported clashes in Dayr Hafir and in the southern Manbij region and confirmed casualties among the SNA. [22]

Offensive

Beginning on 6 December 2024, the SNA initiated extensive and escalating military operations in the eastern countryside of Aleppo Governorate. The operations featured intensive drone surveillance and artillery strikes targeting multiple villages located to the northwestern countryside of Manbij under SDF control, including Aoun al-Dadat, al-Daraj, Umm Jaloud, Sayada, and Umm Adas. The Manbij Military Council (MMC), operating under SDF command, reported reconnaissance aircraft alleged by the SDF to belong to Turkey conducted repeated bombing missions. The council also reported that Turkish drone operations occurred approximately twenty times along the Turkish-SDF border region on three different fronts, including towards Manbij and neighboring Al-Bab. [23] [24]

According to Council leader Sherfan Darwish, SDF forces successfully repelled infiltration attempts along the front line. According to the MMC, the SDF maintained control over Manbij city and its surrounding countryside, the town of Al-Arima near Al-Bab, and Tabqa in Raqqa Governorate. Despite circulation of footage showing SNA military buildups near Manbij, which the MMC claimed included Turkish mercenaries, [24] the SDF leadership dismissed these as dated material, characterizing them as components of an information warfare campaign. [23] The administration issued statements declaring their readiness to resist the offensive, characterizing the Turkish-backed operations as a threat to regional stability and inter-communal relations. [21]

On 6 December, an SDF fighter was killed and others wounded in Turkish artillery shelling of Manbij. [25]

On 7 December, two SDF fighters were killed and others wounded in a Turkish kamikaze drone strike on position in Manbij City. [15] SNA claimed to have captured Jableh Al-Hamra [3] and Tal Aswad [26] but SDF claimed to have repelled any SNA attacks on multiple fronts. [5]

On 8 December, the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported that Orayma and Umm Dadat were captured by the SNA. [27] Turkey started supporting the SNA's offensive by conducting drone strikes on SDF positions. [2] Turkish reports claim that 80% of Manbij were captured by the SNA. [28] The MMC denied any gains by the SNA. [13] The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that SNA gained control other "large neighborhoods in the city" and a partial withdrawal of the MMC to the east of the Euphrates. [7] After Turkish claims that large parts of the region had been captured, the Manbij administration released a video outside the government building in central Manbij, stating that Turkish backed forces failed to breach the city and the SDF was committed to holding Manbij. [29]

On 9 December, the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency claimed that the city was captured by the SNA. [30] The SDF denied this, stating it as "psychological warfare" and "propaganda". [31] The SOHR stated that SNA had captured most of the city, claiming withdrawal of the Manbij Military Council, except for positions in the rear of Manbij. [9] It was also reported that after holding talks, the United States and Turkey reached an agreement which resulted in the SDF withdrawing from Manbij. [32]

On 10 December, the SOHR reported that pro-Turkish factions began "revenge operations" against civilians living along Al-Jazeera Road and in the neighborhoods of Al-Asadiya and Nawajah. Troops killed at least three Kurdish civilians, one of which was a woman, and burnt and looted several civilian homes while "humiliating" their residents. [33]

On 11 December, Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the SDF, announced that SDF soldiers "will be withdrawn from the area as soon as possible" following a US-brokered ceasefire agreement. [1]

Analysis

Military analysts stated that the offensive aligned with Turkish initiatives to establish a security corridor along Syria's northern border. This strategic plan aimed to create a 30-kilometer deep buffer zone in territories controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had emphasized the operation's connection to national security concerns, specifically citing activities of Kurdish militant groups in Syria. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Sun Battalion</span> Armed Syrian rebel group

The Northern Sun Battalion is an armed rebel group affiliated with the Free Syrian Army and part of the Syrian Democratic Forces that has been active during the Syrian Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manbij offensive</span> 2016 military operation by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo Governorate, Syria

The Manbij offensive, code-named Operation Martyr and Commander Faysal Abu Layla, was a 2016 military offensive operation by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to capture the city of Manbij from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and eventually, the ISIL-held areas through Al-Bab to Herbel, in the area referred to as the "Manbij Pocket" in the northern Aleppo Governorate. The main goal of the offensive was to cut off ISIL's last supply routes from Turkey, and to prevent ISIL fighters from escaping across the Syria–Turkey border. For the first five days of the offensive, the US-led coalition conducted over 55 airstrikes in support of the SDF. After capturing Manbij city on 12 August, the SDF announced that the offensive would continue until the whole countryside around Manbij was captured, though the offensive effectively ended shortly after the Turkey, who regard the YPG elements in the SDF as a terrorist organisation, initiated Operation Euphrates Shield to prevent the SDF uniting the regions of Rojava.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manbij Military Council</span>

The Manbij Military Council (MMC) is a coalition established by several groups in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), primarily the Northern Sun Battalion, on 2 April 2016 at the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates. The MMC led the SDF's Manbij offensive from June 2016 that led to the capture of the city of Manbij from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant two months later. Most fighters in the MMC are from Manbij and the surrounding areas.

Arima, also spelled Orayma or Arimah, is a town and seat of a subdistrict (nahiya) in Al-Bab District, located 20 kilometers (12 mi) northeast of the city of al-Bab and 65 kilometers (40 mi) northeast of Aleppo in northern Syria. In the 2004 census, it had a population of 2,839. The town of Qabasin is also to the south-west, and closer than Al-Bab. Manbij city is to the north-east. In course of the Syrian Civil War, the town repeatedly changed hands. As of 2020, it was under dual control of the Syrian government and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Euphrates Shield</span> Turkish cross-border military operation

Operation Euphrates Shield was a cross-border military operation conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces in the Syrian Civil War which led to the Turkish occupation of northern Syria. Operations were carried out in the region between the Euphrates river to the east and the rebel-held area around Azaz to the west. The Turkish military and Turkey-aligned Syrian rebel groups, some of which used the Free Syrian Army label, fought against the forces of the Islamic State (IS) as well as against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from 24 August 2016. On 29 March 2017, the Turkish military officially announced that Operation Euphrates Shield was "successfully completed".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syrian National Army</span> Coalition of armed Syrian opposition groups

The Syrian National Army, previously the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and also known as the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA), is a coalition of armed Syrian opposition groups that participates in the Syrian civil war. Comprising various rebel factions that emerged at the start of the war in July 2011, it was officially established in 2017 under the auspices of Turkey, which provides funding, training, and military support.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Aleppo offensive (2017)</span> Syrian military operation in January–April 2017

The East Aleppo offensive (2017), also referred to as the Dayr Hafir offensive, was an operation launched by the Syrian Army to prevent Turkish-backed rebel forces from advancing deeper into Syria, and also to ultimately capture the ISIL stronghold of Dayr Hafir. Another aim of the operation was to gain control of the water source for Aleppo city, at the Khafsa Water Treatment Plant, in addition to capturing the Jirah Military Airbase. At the same time, the Turkish-backed rebel groups turned towards the east and started launching attacks against the Syrian Democratic Forces, west of Manbij.

The Manbij Revolutionaries Battalion, also simply known as Manbij Revolutionaries, is a Syrian militia that is part of the Syrian Democratic Forces' Manbij Military Council and operates in the Aleppo Governorate. Members of the unit have declared that their primary goal is to drive the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) from Syria, and to establish a democratic, inclusionist government in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Syria insurgency</span> Armed insurgency

The Eastern Syria insurgency is an armed insurgency being waged by remnants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and both pro and anti-Syrian government Arab nationalist insurgents, against the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), its military, and their allies in the US-led Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF–OIR) coalition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria</span> Turkish military offensive in northern Syria

The 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, code-named Operation Peace Spring by Turkey, was a cross-border military operation conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the Syrian National Army (SNA) against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and later Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in northern Syria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes</span> Part of the Syrian Civil War

The 2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes were a series of clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) in Ayn Issa during the Syrian civil war.

The following is a timeline of the Syrian civil war for 2021. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian civil war.

The following is a timeline of the Syrian civil war for 2022. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found in Casualties of the Syrian civil war.

On 20 November 2022 the Turkish Air Force launched Operation Claw-Sword, a series of airstrikes against Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian Army positions in Northern Syria and against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) positions in Northern Iraq. The airstrikes were launched following the 2022 Istanbul bombing on 13 November, that the Turkish government say was conducted by Kurdish separatists.

The following is a timeline of the Syrian civil war for 2023. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found in Casualties of the Syrian civil war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Syrian opposition offensives</span> HTS-led military operation of the Syrian civil war

On 27 November 2024, a coalition of Syrian opposition groups called the Military Operations Command led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and supported by allied Turkish-backed groups in the Syrian National Army (SNA) launched an offensive against the pro-government Syrian Arab Army (SAA) forces in Idlib, Aleppo and Hama Governorates in Syria. The operation was codenamed Deterrence of Aggression by HTS and stated as being launched in retaliation for the increased SAA shelling of civilians in the Western Aleppo countryside. This is the first time that opposition forces in the Syrian civil war launched a military offensive campaign since the March 2020 Idlib ceasefire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Dawn of Freedom</span> SNA-led operation during 2024 Syria offensive

Operation Dawn of Freedom refers to a military offensive launched by the Syrian National Army against the Syrian Arab Armed Forces (SAAF) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), targeting the northern Aleppo Governorate region between al-Bab and Tadef within the Operation Euphrates Shield zone.

The following is a timeline of the Syrian civil war from November 2024. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found in casualties of the Syrian civil war.

On the night of 8 December 2024, a Turkish drone strike targeted a residential structure in Al-Mustariha village in Raqqa Governorate, killing twelve members of a single family, which included women and children. The civilian mass casualty event contributed to considerable panic among the local population in areas held by Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria regarding military escalation in the region with the onset of Operation Dawn of Freedom and the 2024 Manbij offensive conducted by the pro-Turkish Syrian National Army (SNA) against Syrian Democratic Forces positions. These airstrikes took places in three provinces: Al-Hasakah Governorate, Raqqa Governorate and Rural Aleppo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Kobani offensive</span> Pro-Turkish forces operation against Kurdish forces in Syria

The 2024 Kobani offensive is an ongoing military campaign conducted by the pro-Turkish Syrian National Army (SNA) and the Turkish Air Force against Syrian Democratic Forces following the successful 2024 Manbij offensive. The offensive was launched with the intent to capture the Kurdish-majority city of Kobanî and positions in Ayn al-Arab District to the east of the Euphrates. The offensive was initiated with numerous airstrikes across the Kobanî countryside and on the Tishrin Dam standing on the Euphrates between recently captured Manbij District territories and the Ayn al-Arab District.

References

  1. ↑ 15 killed on 8-9 December, [9] [10] [11] 30 killed on 10 December [12]
  2. ↑ Three killed on 7 December, [8] [15] 35 killed on 8-9 December, [9] [10] [11] 68 killed on 10 December [12] , six killed on 11 December [16]
  1. 1 2 3 "Kurdish-led Force Announces US-brokered Truce In Syria's Manbij". Barron's. 11 December 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  2. 1 2 "With the support of Turkish drones, the factions of the "Fajr al-Hurriya" operations room attack several axes in the Manbij countryside" (in Arabic). SOHR. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  3. 1 2 Halab Today TV [@HalabTodayTV] (7 December 2024). "عاجل" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 December 2024– via Twitter.
  4. ↑ "Türkmanlar Menbiç əməliyyatına başladı – VİDEO". Turkustan.az (in Turkish). 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 "SDF: We repel occupation state's attacks on 3 fronts". Hawar News Agency . 7 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Sireen Military Council forces blow up 5 vehicles of Turkish occupation mercenaries". Hawar News Agency . 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 "More than 25 members kil*led in Manbij | Factions of "Dawn of Freedom" Operation Room take control over major neighbourhoods in the city". SOHR . 8 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 "Military escalation | member of "National Defence" killed and others injured under Turkish shelling on Manbij". SOHR . 7 December 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 "Following fierce clashes | Turkish-backed factions take control of Manbij and 50 militiamen and members of "Manbij Military Council Forces" killed". SOHR . 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  10. 1 2 "Daily death toll | 29 people killed on December 8 across Syria". SOHR . 8 December 2024.
  11. 1 2 "Daily death toll | 80 people killed on December 9 across Syria". SOHR . 9 December 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Daily death toll | 198 people killed on December 10 across Syria". SOHR . 10 December 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Dozens of mercenaries killed or wounded as Manbij Military Council responds to attacks". 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  14. 1 2 "14 mercenaries of Turkish occupation arrested in Manbij". Hawar News Agency . 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  15. 1 2 "New attack | Kamikaze drone kills two members of "Manbij Military Council Forces"". SOHR . 7 December 2024.
  16. ↑ "New attack | Turkish drone kills and injure ten members of "Manbij Military Council Forces" in west Euphrates region - The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 11 December 2024.
  17. ↑ "Having been besieged by faction | Injured combatants of "Manbij Military Council Forces" extrajudicially executed in eastern Aleppo". SOHR . 10 December 2024.
  18. ↑ Presse, AFP-Agence France. "War Monitor Says Turkish Drone Strike Kills 11 Civilians In North Syria". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  19. ↑ "Daily death toll | 198 people killed on December 10 across Syria - The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 10 December 2024.
  20. 1 2 "المعارضة السورية تبدأ عملية عسكرية ضد "قسد" في منبج بريف حلب الشرقي". عربي21 (in Arabic). 7 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  21. 1 2 3 الشرق (7 December 2024). "فصائل تضغط على "قسد" في منبج.. فوضى بدير الزور وترقب في الحسكة". Asharq News (in Arabic). Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  22. ↑ Kardo Roj (4 December 2024). "SDF Reports Casualties Among Turkey-Backed Militants in Northern Syria". North Press Agency. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  23. 1 2 Sheikho, Kamal (6 November 2024). "«سوريا الديمقراطية» تتهم تركيا بشن هجمات واسعة بريف حلب الشرقي". Asharq Al-Awsat . Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  24. 1 2 "بيان صادر عن قوات سوريا الديمقراطية قسد يكشف : الاحتلال التركي ومرتزقته يصعّد من هجماته في محيط منبج وقراها لليوم الثاني على التوالي". متابعات (in Arabic). 7 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  25. ↑ "Military escalation | member of "National Defence" killed and others injured under Turkish shelling on Manbij". SOHR . 6 December 2024.
  26. ↑ Al Jazeera Arabic Syria [@AJA_Syria] (7 December 2024). "ضمن عملية فجر الحرية.. فصائل المعارضة السورية تسيطر على قرية تل أسود شرقي #حلب بعد اشتباكات مع "قوات سوريا الديمقراطية"" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 December 2024– via Twitter.
  27. ↑ Anadolu English [@anadoluagency] (8 December 2024). "#BREAKING In operation Dawn of Freedom, opposition Syrian National Army liberates town of Urayma, village of Umm Dadat in Manbij from terrorist PKK/YPG occupation" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 December 2024– via Twitter.
  28. ↑ "Syrian rebels enter northern city of Manbij, Turkish source says". Reuters . 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  29. ↑ Nazım Daştan (8 December 2024). "Manbij administration: Don't believe Turkish propaganda lies". Firat News Agency . Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  30. ↑ Anadolu Staff (9 December 2024). "Opposition Syrian National Army liberates Manbij from US-backed PKK/YPG terrorist group". Anadolu Agency . Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  31. ↑ "Consejo Militar de Manbij: «Protegeremos nuestra ciudad»". Firat News Agency (in Spanish). 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  32. ↑ Ece Toksabay; Jonathan Spicer (9 December 2024). "Rebels take Syrian city from U.S.-backed group after U.S.-Turkey deal, source says". Reuters.
  33. ↑ السوري, المرصد (9 December 2024). "عمليات تصفية على الهوية في منبج.. الفصائل الموالية لتركيا تعفش ممتلكات الكرد وتهين أبناء الأحياء الكردية | المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان" (in Arabic). Retrieved 10 December 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.