Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander in Chief, Mazloum Abdi, said on Saturday Turkey is preparing for launching an attack against Kobani, Manbij and Tel Rifaat in Syria’s north in tandem with US endeavors to stop the attack.
Since Nov. 20th, Turkey has been launching areal and ground attacks against several areas in northeastern Syria, targeting the region’s economic resources particularly oil facilities in addition to striking positions of the Syrian government forces and inhabitant villages on the border strip with Turkey.
Abdi revealed that the recent Turkish assaults have claimed the lives of 14 civilians and 16 fighters, and caused devastation to 45 infrastructure sites.
The SDF Commander added, in a press conference via Zoom app that North Press organized, Russia and the US oppose the Turkish attack and these “are good stances,” adding that international ones should be stronger because Turkey intends to launch the attack.
Abdi stressed, “The U.S. administration has officially informed me, through Brett McGurk, about its rejection of the Turkish operation,” noting that the U.S. contacts Turkey to stop the attacks.
Abdi demanded that the U.S. administration sanctions Turkey over attacks it launched, “violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
He renewed his denial of any involvement in the Istanbul blast and called for starting an international investigation for truth findings.
Abdi stressed that his forces and the people of Kobani are ready to confront any Turkish attack and that this battle will be different from previous ones, adding, “Erdogan has been hostile to Syria’s Kobani since the battle against ISIS.”
Operations against the Turkish forces will be carried out within Syrian soil, but in case Turkey initiates the war, “the entire Syrian-Turkish border will be stoked,” he stressed.
The SDF Commander in Chief stressed that the task of protecting the region is placed on the shoulders of the “Syrian Army…we look forward to coordinating together to counter the Turkish attacks.”
Military developments
Turkish forces targeted on Saturday 63 villages and towns in different areas in northeastern Syria with not less than 490 different types of shells on the seventh day of the Turkish escalation that began on Nov.20.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Press Center said in a statement the Turkish forces targeted villages in the northern countryside of Aleppo (known as the Shahba region) with over 311 artillery shells, 117 mortars and five tank shells.
Shahba region houses IDPs of the Kurdish city of Afrin, which was occupied in 2018 by Turkey following a military operation called “Olive Branch” to push away the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the pretext of protecting Turkey’s “national security.”
The operation caused the displacement of about 300.000 of the original inhabitants of the Kurds of Afrin who have been taking shelter in 40 villages and five camps in the Shahba region since then.
There are about 16.000 displaced families from Afrin distributed over 42 villages and towns in the Shahba region, in addition to 1.870 families, comprising 7.500 individuals, now living in the camps of Barkhodan, Sardam, Afrin, al-Awda, and Shahba, according to the Social Affairs and Labor Board of the Afrin region, currently operating in Aleppo northern countryside.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
