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SDF insurgency in northern Syria | |||||
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Part of the Syrian civil war | |||||
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Belligerents | |||||
Syrian Democratic Forces Contents[2]Supported by: Syria (per Turkey) [3] Kurdistan Workers' Party (per Turkey) | Turkey Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA) | ||||
Units involved | |||||
Insurgent groups
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Casualties and losses | |||||
771 killed or captured | Per SOHR: Per Turkey: 16 killed (first days only) [13] 37 killed [14] [15] |
The SDF insurgency in northern Syria is a campaign of armed attacks carried out by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), following the expansion of the Turkish occupation of northern Syria after the early 2018 Operation Olive Branch carried out by the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA).
Shortly after the defeat of the People's Protection Units (YPG) in the Afrin Region, the spokeswoman for the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (Syria) (PYD), had already announced that the SDF would fight Turkish and allied opposition forces using guerrilla tactics. [16] [17] The YPG also stated "We reiterate that these terrorists and their families are the main targets of our forces. Our forces will target all the elements in the Afrin Canton that are in contact or cooperation with the Turkish invasion state." [18] [19] The "Wrath of Olives" operations room was established in early summer 2018, although the YPG has denied affiliation with the group. [20]
By May 2018, an insurgency had broken out in the Afrin District, as the YPG [21] along with allied militants, as well as an armed insurgent group called the "Afrin Falcons", [22] began carrying out bombings, ambushes and assassinations against the Turkish Army, SNA forces, and civilians sympathetic or affiliated with them. [21] [23] Other areas with pro-SDF guerrilla activity include Azaz and al-Bab, which have been under Turkish occupation since 2016.
By mid-2018, the insurgency was mostly focused on the rural areas [21] [23] and Afrin city's outskirts, where the Turkish Air Force targeted guerilla holdouts between May and July. [21] [24] In May, the YPG killed the former leader of the Free East Ghouta Police, Jamal al-Zaghloul, who had been tasked with police duties in Afrin, with a mine in al-Basouta, south of Afrin city. Following his death, the YPG stated that "anyone in cooperation with the invasion forces is our target". [25]
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The People's Defense Units (YPG), also called People's Protection Units, is a Kurdish militant group in Syria and the primary component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). YPG provides updates about its activities through YPG Press Office Telegram channel and social media accounts.
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