DAMASCUS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least eight members of a Türkiye-backed militia were killed on Sunday when a drone operated by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) targeted vehicles and armored equipment near the Tishreen Dam in northern Syria's Aleppo province, a war monitor reported.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the clashes between the SDF and the Turkish-backed "Syrian National Army" also wounded eight SDF fighters.
Meanwhile, the SDF claimed that dozens of Turkish-backed fighters were killed and several vehicles, including tanks, were destroyed in the fighting.
Since the hostilities erupted on Dec. 12, 2024, the observatory has documented at least 440 fatalities on both sides, including 44 civilians, 321 fighters from Turkish-backed groups, and 75 fighters from the SDF and allies.
This escalation follows the SDF's forced withdrawal from several northern areas under pressure from Turkish-backed groups.
Türkiye views the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which forms the core of the SDF, as an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union. ■
