East Aleppo offensive (2024–present)

Last updated

East Aleppo offensive (2024)
Part of Syrian civil war and Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war
ManbijDecember.png
Territorial control in Manbij
Date23 December 2024 – present
(1 week and 6 days)
Location
Status Ongoing
Territorial
changes
Belligerents
De facto SA-NES Flag.svg  Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria
Supported by:
Seal of Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve.svg CJTF–OIR (only in Ayn al-Arab District) [2]
Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg Syrian Interim Government
Supported by:
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey [3]
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svg Mazlum Abdi
Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svg Ferhad Şamî
Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg Fadlallah al-Haji
Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg Adnan al-Ahmad
Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg Abu Fayez  [4] [5]
Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg Munir Hajak  [6]
Units involved

Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svg Syrian Democratic Forces

Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg Syrian National Army


Flag of Turkish Air Force Command.svg Turkish Air Force
Casualties and losses
Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svg 44 killed [a]
Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svg Dozens wounded[ citation needed ]
Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg 115 killed [b]
Flag of Turkey.svg 1 Bayraktar TB2 destroyed [15] [16] [17]
Flag of Turkey.svg 2 radar systems (SDF claim) [18]
Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg 72 killed (SDF claim) [c]
Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg 20+ vehicles destroyed (SDF claim) [26]
Syrian revolution flag.svg 7 armored vehicles and 2 tanks (SDF claim) [27] [28] [29]
7 civilians killed [d]

The East Aleppo offensive (2024) is an operation launched by the Syrian Democratic Forces in December 2024 against the Syrian National Army (SNA) to regain control of territory that was lost during the Manbij offensive and to advance from Dayr Hafir into the Tishrin Dam area. [33] [34]

Contents

Background

Following the SNA capture of Manbij city on 11 December, a temporary ceasefire agreement in the region was reached between the SNA and SDF through U.S. mediation. [35] However, military activities did not cease, which eventually resulted in fighting in the Kobani countryside. In addition, the SNA refused the evacuation of SDF fighters or civilians from Manbij, executed captured SDF soldiers and attempted offensive operations against the SDF, resulting in fighting near the Tishrin Dam. [36] [37] The following week, the SNA stated that they ended the US-brokered ceasefire with the SDF. [38] Turkey stated that the ceasefire did not exist. [39]

The offensive comes around the same time in which several Syrian rebel factions agreed with de-facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa to dissolve their groups and to fall under the country's new Defense ministry. The SDF did not participate in this meeting in Damascus. [40]

Offensive

The Manbij Military Council of the SDF initiated an offensive against the Syrian National Army near the Tishrin Dam on 23 December 2024. [41] The SDF managed to take control over several villages south east of Manbij. [42] [43]

The following day, SDF started assaults in two different directions. At the Dayr Hafir front, the SDF advanced from the Jirah Military Airbase along the west bank of the Euphrates where they took control of the Babiri water pumping station, five kilometres south of the town of Al-Khafsah and advanced from the Tishrin Dam into the Abu Qalqal district. Further north, fighting also started around the Qarah Qawzak bridge. [44] A spokesperson of the Women's Protection Units (YPJ) stated that its fighters were located just over 11 kilometers (7 miles) away from the center of Manbij city, which was later confirmed by the SOHR. [45] [46] During the clashes with YPJ and MMC at least 12 SNA fighters were killed in the Tishrin Dam area. [12] On 26 December, the SDF spokesperson Ferhad Şamî made a statement at the Tishrin Dam confirming SDF control over the area. [47] [48] The next morning, fighting reached the surroundings of the Najm castle. [49]

Between 27 and 31 December, the clashes continued mainly in the Abu Qalqal direction, where both sides executed several infiltration attempts. [13] [14] [50] Meanwhile the SDF claimed that the Turkish Armed Forces are establishing two military bases in the Manbij countryside. [51] The Deputy Press Secretary of the Pentagon, Sabrina Singh, stated during a press briefing that the US-brokered ceasefire around the city of Manbij is "still holding" despite the concurrent fighting. [52]

In early January 2025, both sides attacked each other with drone strikes, including a Turkish drone strike targeting the sugar factory in Dayr Hafir. [53] The SNA, backed by Turkish artillery, launched an attack on Khirbet Zamalah south of the Tishrin dam. [54] The SDF on their part managed to down a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone in the southern Kobani countryside. [55] Continued clashes between SDF and SNA forces occurred west of the Tishrin dam and further north near the Qarah Qawzak bridge. At least 50 SNA and 12 SDF fighters were killed in the clashes. [56] [11] The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed that the SDF may seek to link-up their forces with these two advances to strengthen supply lines. [57] At the same time, US-led coalition forces began constructing a military base in the city of Kobani, being the first time that US forces enter the eastern Aleppo Governorate since their departure following the 2019 Turkish offensive, [2] [58] though the reports have been denied by the Pentagon. [59] On 4 January, clashes continued in the vicinity of Sad Teshrin and Jisr Qarqozak, leaving 20 SNA and 8 SDF fighters dead. [6]

See also

Notes

  1. 16 killed on 24 December [7] 5 killed on 29 December [8] [9] 3 killed on 31 December [10] 12 killed in 3 January [11] 8 killed on 4 January [6]
  2. 12 killed on 25 December, [12] 7 killed on 27 December [13] 19 killed on 29 December [8] [9] 7 killed on 30 December [14] 50 killed on 3 January [11] 20 killed on 4 January [6]
  3. 19 killed on 25 December, [19] [20] 22 killed on 27 December, [21] 23 killed on 28 December [22] [23] Dozens killed on 2 January [24] [25]
  4. 1 killed on 25 December, [30] 1 killed on 29 December, [31] 5 killed on 30 December, [32]

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