The militia of the Kurdish formations "Syrian Democratic Forces" (SDF) launched a counteroffensive near the city of Manbij and captured four settlements.
This was reported to the Rudaw TV channel by the official SDF representative Farhad Shami.
“After two weeks of defensive battles, a decision was made to proceed with offensive operations near the Karakozak bridge and the Tishrin dam on the Euphrates River“, the military said. “As a result, the villages of Khobek-Tuaini, Qishla, Saidin and Haj-Hussein were liberated from pro-Turkish forces“.
Shami reported that the Kurds destroyed at least 30 enemy soldiers and disabled several armored vehicles. SDF losses amounted to 16 fighters. According to him, fierce fighting is currently taking place in the Abu Khaliq area, where two other villages, Al-Tawahin and Khirbet Tuaini, are located.
Following the change of power in Syria, the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) brigades launched an offensive on December 9 against SDF positions in Manbij and the city of Ain al-Arab (Kobani). On December 17, The Wall Street Journal, citing American officials, reported that Turkey was massing forces along the border with Syria and preparing for a large-scale invasion.
Earlier, The Washington Post wrote that after the fall of Bashar Assad's government, a civil war could begin between pro-Turkish groups that are part of the opposition that came to power and Kurdish forces.