21 Turkish-Backed Fighters Killed In Syria As Clashes Erupt Near Manbij

In northern Syria fights erupted near the Tishreen Dam on Wednesday, killing at least 21 Turkish-backed fighters, according to a war monitor, despite a recent extension of a fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, pro-Turkey factions attacked a Kurdish-held position near the dam, about 25 km from the town of Manbij. The Manbij Military Council, which is a part of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, was able to repel the attack.

“The number of pro-Turkish militants killed in the clashes exceeds 21, with multiple others wounded,” the Observatory said. “The assault was accompanied by Turkish reconnaissance aircraft, and intense battles unfolded that included heavy and medium armaments.”

The SDF said in a statement its forces repelled the assault, after which the Manbij Military Council launched a “combing operation” in the area to bring it under control.

The truce, which had run out just last week, was extended until the end of the week, said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. However, tensions are still building in the region as Turkey-backed and Kurdish-led forces vie for control of strategic territories.

The conflict there, now complicated by a power vacuum since the end of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, has made conditions in northern Syria even harder to manage. The US has brokered several ceasefire agreements, but fighting remains an issue, especially at the strategic town of Manbij, where NATO partners, the US and Turkey, have traditionally supported conflicting parties.