KURDISTAN
Jan 8, 2025
From Têkoşîna Anarşîst
January 7, 2025
05-06/Jan/2025
# NES
Heavy clashes in Eufrates region
A massive SNA attack on the strategic hill near Tishrin dam was repelled by the SDF, inflicting heavy losses in SNA ranks. Air units of the SDF (drones) published videos of 2 armored vehicles and another military vehicle being destroyed. After the clashes, turkish planes bombed the area, damaging some of SDF’s armored vehicles.
SOHR numbers of the clashes
Over the last 2 days SOHR documented the deaths of 85 SNA militias and 16 SDF fighters.
Since the beginning of the fighting around Manbij city SOHR counts as killed: 25 civilians, including five women and two children; 203 Turkish-backed militiamen; 57 members of SDF. Reports on the ground suggest higher numbers.
Turkish bombings continue
Turkish campaigns of drone strikes and artillery fire continue targeting positions beyond the front lines, especially in Kobane countryside and in the occupied M4 strip between Ain Issa and Til Temir.
# Syria
Security operations continue
Security forces aligned with the transitional goverment continued security operations, mostly targeting people that had important roles with the old regime, like secret police and military personnel.
Local security committees
After the unrest of last week, local security committees are organizing checkpoints in multiple cities in coordination with HTS command. Residents stand guard outside shops and homes, armed with light weapons to fill the security vacuum.
Israels illegal occupation
Residents of Quneitra protested against the Israeli occupation of their homes and the lack of action from Syria’s new authorities and the international community. Israeli forces have demolished homes and prevented farmers from going to their fields in some areas. On at least two occasions, Israeli troops reportedly opened fired on protesters.
The United Nations has accused Israel of violating the 1974 ceasefire agreement by entering the buffer zone, but the new Syrian Govn. is in no rush to confront Israel.
# Foreign Policy
Turkey: HTS can guard ISIS
In an attempt to lessen the importance of the SDF’s presence, Turkish FM stated that the new Damascus administration can take over ISIS prisons.
US sanctions relief
US announced a sanction relief for Syria, issuing waivers to aid groups and companies providing essential services, such as water, electricity and other humanitarian supplies for next six months.
France support the kurds
After the visit of French FM to Damascus, French President Macron stated that “France will not abandon Kurdish freedom fighters in Syria.”
*** Analysis ***
The extreme instability of the last month seems to be slowing down. This is a dangerous time, where the international media attention starts to withdraw, forgetting once again what is happening in Syria. The heavy clashes of Manbij countryside are the new normality, as well as the intensified artillery attacks of Turkish army, as well as the constant drone strikes all over north east Syria. In the big cities of Western Syria the transitional government is tightening their control, with security operations targeting mainly old regime loyalists for now.
The unstable situation of the Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheik Mekhsud and Ashrafia in Aleppo is slowly (but silently) escalating tensions. SNA fighters dropped some explosive devices days ago before being shot by local defense forces. Today, a crowd chanting slogans aligned with the transitional government marched towards the kurdish neighborhoods. YPG forces fired warning shots in the sky to disperse the march, and for now it stopped there.
The local militias from Suwayda “Men of dignity” and “Mountain brigade” made statements rejecting sectarian factional armies and condemning the deadly clashes that took place recently in the south of Syria. It is not clear to us if the clashes where with HTS supporters (as we reported recently) or with old regime loyalist groups. Or maybe with both, reports seem confusing and our lack of trusted sources from southern Syria makes it difficult to get a good grasp of the situation.
The fatigue and exhaustion after more than a month of frantic activity are also weighing on everyone. In these times we can see the dynamics of war switching from sprint to marathon, where endurance and resilience become critical. Those who can’t withstand the pressure, those who break, will open small windows of opportunity for their enemies. SDF has repeatedly proven its strength in this long term race, so now is time to wait for enemy mistakes. As Sun Tzu wrote 15 centuries ago: “To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.”
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Weekly Highlights 28.12.24 – 03.01.25
Clashes in Manbij countryside
Heavy clashes continued in Manbij countryside, with SDF holding ground against the SNA offensives around Qereqozah bridge and Tishreen Dam. Several armored vehicles of turkish proxy forces were destroyed, including tanks and other advanced equipment like radars, even an (in)famous UAV Bayraktar TB2.
HTS government
The cabinet of the transitional government is getting filled with HTS leadership and close circles of Ahmed al-Sharaa, that is acting as a de facto president of Syria. Names of important Jihadist fighters are being published as heads of ministeries and other important state institutions. Al-Sharaa also announced that HTS will be dissolved in the transition process, probably as a strategy to get rid of the terrorist label and gain legitimacy as new government.
Negotiations SDF-HTS
A delegation of SDF command met with a delegation of the transitional government, including al-Sharaa and other relevant HTS members. They negotiated possible integration of SDF in the new Syrian army that is being organized. An agreement was not reached, but negotiations remain open.
SNA facing problems
Two main factions of SNA (Sultan Suleyman Sha and Hamza divisions) left the SNA coalition to join the ranks of the new Syrian Army under the influence of HTS. Many fighters are dying in the front lines of Manbij countryside. Other fighters and groups are defecting to return back to their homes, now free of the Assad regime, often getting arrested and imprisoned by SNA military police in the attempt.
Women’s resistance
The newly appointed ministry of women affairs in the HTS transitional government, Aisha al-Dibs, declared that islamic law (sharia) should guide Syria and that she won’t let feminist NGOs operate. Many women’s organizations, like the newly founded Syrian Women’s council, made statements criticizing it and remarking the role and the importance of women in the revolution.
ISIS resurgence
ISIS has been increasing their activity and attacking security checkpoints in many different parts of Syria as well as Iraq. They also spread a call for their followers to do attacks in US, Europe or Israel. One message called to “Prepare your belts, silencers, knives, and explosives”. The International coalition has been conducting precise bombings in different locations in Syria.
Repression of minorities
The protests that sparked in several cities after the tomb of an historic Alawite scholar was desecrated were met with military repression, with big convoys of HTS fighters being sent to disperse protests. Some clashes with armed protestors were reported. The druze community also stated their intentions to not integrate their militias into the new Syrian army, challenging the call of the transitional goverment to surrend all the weapons to the transitional goverment.
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03-04/Jan/2025
# NES
Manbij Front
SDF repelled a massive attack, killing 72 jihadist fighters. 11 SDF soldiers were also killed. Turkey continues to bomb the area and the already heavily damaged Tishreen Dam.
SNA order to kill
Allegedly, an internal information letter was sent to military police of SNA and several of their militias. The letter calls on them to execute any traitor attempting to defect to the enemy or caught trying to flee their area.
Turkey-Syria borders to HTS
Control of the Hammam border crossing between Turkey and Syria in Jindires area, in occupied Afrin, has been handed out to HTS as part of agreements to normalize the situation with the new administration in Damascus.
# Syria
Murderous past of justice minister
Shadi Al-Waisi was recently appointed as minister of justice. He has been identified in a video from Idlib in 2015, this video has been verified. In the video a woman is executed with a head shot in the middle of the street by armed men after Shadi Al-Waisi reads a “judicial” sentence from a smartphone.
Syrias education system
Syria’s new Ministry of Education has published 12 new documents reshaping the country’s education system. They are pushing a religiously driven worldview on what was once the Middle East’s most secular nation.
Tensions in Suwayda
Recent clashes between armed factions in Suwayda involving the armed group “Men of dignity” and another group that is apparently aligned with HTS took place. They left at least 4 deads. Protests followed the incident, some claiming support for an HTS goverment some against it. Some also denounced the sunni-islamist biased changes of educational curriculum.
Clashes on the Lebanese border
Clashes with the Lebanesse army broke out next to a blocked border crossing between Syria and Lebanon, with at least 1 Lebanese soldier badly injured. The Lebanese army claims they shot in the air as warning after a bulldozer moved to reopen the border-crossing, and armed men responded by firing at their positions. Some reports claim the armed men to be HTS fighters, other suggest smuggling networks. Allegedly, clashes resumed again later.
HTS security operations
HTS military personal conducted several raids and security controls after the Alawites protest last week. Some of those raids are evolving to clashes after facing armed resistance, allegedly from old regime loyalist. The Syrian Observatory of Human rights (SOHR) is reporting more than 100 arrested, some reports suggest summary executions of many of them.
# Foreign Policy
French and German FM in Damascus
Ms Baerbock and Mr Barrot are the first european FMs to visit the new governemnt in Damascus. They explained that they can see a renewed relationship between Europe and Syria, but under the condition of gender equality and protection of minorities. HTS officials receiving them refused to shake the hand of the German FM.
# Analysis
The recent handover of strategical border-crossing points in Afrin to HTS is a very relevant development, it shows the will of Turkey to sacrifice SNA militias in exchange for better relations with HTS. Those border crossing points are a big source of tax revenue for the militias that control it, cutting down their access to funds and giving them to HTS will not just improve their economical situation but also reinforce the centralized control that the HTS transitional goverment is attempting. And of course, Turkey is expecting HTS to not forget that they are helping them with that, gaining a better diplomatic position in future negotiations.
The visit of the French and German foreign ministers to Damascus indicates that Europe is willing to accept the transitional goverment as legitimate respresentation of Syria. The video with the akward moment when Baerbock offers her hand and the reception delegation and they refuse to shake her hand, has been circulating a lot. It is a clear indication of the misogynist approach that this transitional goverment has. At the same time, they orchestrated a press conferance with an unveiled women talking on behalf of the White Helmets, a rescue organization with close ties with HTS and Turkey. This is clearly a move for media spectacle, since any pictures ever seen of women working with White helmets has been always with veil and gloves, and always as having an auxiliar role. This adds to other examples of HTS tokenizing women to appear moderate and aligned with inclusive values, but it is clearly nothing else than a facade.
Revolutionary greetings!
your fellow anarchist comrades from NES
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