At least twelve civilians have been killed in Turkish air and artillery strikes on areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern and northeastern Syria over the past two days, an SDF spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The escalation in violence comes despite ongoing U.S. efforts to broker a truce between the warring factions.
According to Farhad Chami, an SDF spokesman, Turkish drones launched an airstrike on a busy marketplace in the town of Sarrine, located in Syria’s Aleppo Province, on Tuesday. The attack resulted in the deaths of six civilians and left 22 others injured.
Chami further stated that Turkish artillery shelling in two separate locations killed three more civilians on Tuesday, while another three lost their lives on Monday.
The renewed hostilities have intensified tensions in northern Syria, where fighting has been ongoing since late November. The clashes have pitted the SDF, a Kurdish-led military alliance, against various rebel factions, including Islamist groups.
Turkey, which considers the SDF a terrorist organization due to its links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has frequently carried out cross-border attacks targeting Kurdish positions.
The latest surge in violence coincides with a broader offensive launched by a coalition of Syrian rebel groups against both the SDF and the forces of President Bashar al-Assad. The offensive, initiated on November 27, has significantly escalated hostilities in the region.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), an independent UK-based war monitor, the ongoing clashes and Turkish bombardments have claimed the lives of at least 521 people since December.
The fatalities include 56 civilians, while the remaining casualties comprise fighters from both sides. SOHR estimates that 388 Kurdish fighters and 77 SDF members have been killed during this period.
Turkey has not yet officially commented on the recent strikes but has previously defended its military operations in northern Syria, arguing that they are necessary for national security.
Ankara has repeatedly called for the establishment of a buffer zone along its border, aiming to prevent Kurdish forces from gaining a stronghold in the area.
The United States, which has supported the SDF in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), has attempted to mediate a ceasefire between the SDF and Turkish-backed groups.
However, these diplomatic efforts have so far failed to halt the violence. The Turkish attacks, combined with the broader rebel offensive, have raised concerns about a potential humanitarian crisis, as civilians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict.
International observers and humanitarian organizations have urged all parties involved to de-escalate the situation and prioritize civilian protection.
The ongoing conflict in Syria, now in its 13th year, remains a complex battleground involving multiple factions, foreign interventions, and competing geopolitical interests.
With the situation rapidly evolving, it remains uncertain whether diplomatic interventions can prevent further bloodshed or if the conflict in northern Syria will continue to spiral out of control.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members