The Telegraph 10 December 2024 Live Turkish-backed fighters attack Kurds in Syria -

 The Telegraph

10 December 2024 

Live Turkish-backed fighters attack Kurds in Syria

A boy carries an unexploded Rocket Propelled Grenade at the site of yesterday’s Israeli airstrike in Qamishli, in mainly Kurdish northeastern Syria, on Dec 10 Credit: DELIL SOULEIMAN /GETTY IMAGES

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Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) fighters are advancing on the Kurdish-majority city of Kobane in northern Syria, according to reports.

Kurdish authorities reported several violent clashes over the last 24 hours between Kurdish forces and SNA fighters, who are pushing north-east towards Kobane after seizing the town of Manbij on Monday. 

They said shelling and machine gun fire could be heard near the Tishreen Dam on the Euphrates River, which generates energy and provides drinking water for the region. 

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed on Tuesday never to allow Syria to be divided again, which could be seen as a threat towards the Kurdish-led autonomous Rojava region in the north east of the country. 

Gideon Sa’ar, the Israeli foreign minister, on Tuesday said that attacks on Kurds “must stop”. 

“There must be a commitment and actions by the international community to protect the Kurds, who fought bravely against ISIS,” he added. 

Kobane was the site of a major battle between Isis and Kurdish fighters from 2014 to 2015, when some 70 per cent of the city was destroyed before jihadist fighters were eventually driven out with the help of US and coalition air strikes. 

The battle of Kobane was seen as a key turning point in the struggle against Isis.

Rojava is also known as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and makes up about one third of Syria’s territory. 

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Samuel Montgomery.

 

Daniel Hardaker

10 December 2024 7:15pm