Intense clashes between Turkish, US-backed groups in eastern Aleppo
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Groups backed by Turkiye and the United States (the Syrian National Army and the Syrian Democratic Forces) are fighting in the eastern Aleppo countryside.
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US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters stand guard in Raqqa, Syria, on February 7, 2022. (AP)
The eastern Aleppo countryside is experiencing intense clashes between the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported.
In Raqqa, SDF forces opened fire on demonstrators, resulting in the death of a civilian and injuries to 14 others, as confirmed by local sources.
Meanwhile, the SDF-affiliated Manbij Military Council destroyed a vehicle belonging to the SNA during an attack in the Deir Hafer region of eastern Aleppo.
The unrest coincides with protests in Hasakah, northeastern Syria, where demonstrators are demanding the withdrawal of SDF forces and the deployment of the Joint Military Operations Administration. Reports indicate that SDF forces fired upon protesters in the Ghuwayran neighborhood of the city.
A Turkish Defense Ministry source told Reuters that Turkish-backed forces continue to advance in northern Syria. However, the SDF reported facing a large-scale assault "launched by Turkish occupation mercenaries, using tanks and drones, on the Tishrin Dam" southeast of Manbij.
The SDF expressed concerns over the dam's safety due to heavy shelling by Turkish forces and their allied fighters, warning of potential damage to the vital infrastructure.
Simultaneously, protests in northeastern Deir Ezzor are escalating, with demands for the SDF to withdraw from the entire province. The SDF is also experiencing internal fractures, with reports of defections among tribal members within its ranks.
SDF setbacks in northeast
The Syrian Military Operations Command took control of Deir Ezzor Governorate, eastern Syria, on Tuesday, after the withdrawal of SDF militants.
This comes after a number of people from the Deir Ezzor Military Council defected from the SDF and joined the Joint Forces in Damascus, including Ibrahim Al-Asi.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that violent clashes took place between the so-called National Army and SDF militants at the Qara Qozak Bridge in Manbij.
It is noteworthy that the US CENTCOM on Tuesday said in a post on X that Commander General Michael "Erik" Kurilla visited Syria and Iraq to assess its purported operations against ISIS and bolster regional security cooperation.
