The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported ongoing clashes with Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) militants over the weekend, with intensified attacks targeting key Kurdish-held territories near the Tishreen Dam on the Euphrates River.

“Our forces thwarted all attacks by the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries, supported by Turkish warplanes and drones, on areas east and south of Manbij and north of Tishreen Dam, inflicting dozens of deaths and injuries,” SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami stated on X.

The SDF has been under increased assault since late November, as Turkish forces and their SNA allies seized the strategic towns of Tal Rifaat and Manbij. Clashes remain particularly fierce near the Tishreen Dam and Qere Qozaq bridge, crucial routes leading to Kobane, a symbolic Kurdish stronghold near the Turkish border.

In a Friday statement, the SDF claimed to have repelled numerous attacks, resulting in over 70 SNA casualties and multiple injuries. On Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, reported that the clashes had killed 15 SNA militants, while a Turkish drone strike near the Tishreen Dam resulted in the deaths of four SDF members.

Ceasefire Under Strain

These developments come despite a US-brokered ceasefire between Turkey and the SDF last month. While Ankara denies agreeing to the ceasefire, the Pentagon stated on Monday that the truce “is still holding.”

US troops remain on the ground in northern Syria, working alongside the SDF as part of efforts to combat the remnants of the Islamic State (ISIS).

As clashes persist, concerns grow over the stability of the region and the potential escalation of hostilities, threatening both Kurdish-held territories and broader efforts to maintain peace in northern Syria.