The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Women’s Defense Units (YPJ) have reported heavy losses among the Damascus-affiliated factions in ongoing fighting southeast of Kobanê. According to reports, several tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed or damaged in several locations, including a military vehicle with a mounted DShK machine gun. Numerous other military vehicles have been seized, it was reported.
The fighting is taking place in the town of Chalabiya, about 50 kilometers from the center of Kobanê. The attacks on Monday were directed at the village of Kharab Ashk, where five members of a Kurdish family were killed, and the former site of the French cement manufacturer Lafarge. The villages of Qasimiyah and Zêrîk are also under attack by Islamists. In Zarik, a five-year-old child and three other civilians were injured by artillery fire.
The SDF holds the Syrian transitional government and the Turkish military, together with jihadist militias, responsible for the aggression. The coordinated large-scale attack is taking place despite a ceasefire agreement between Damascus and the SDF. The Kurdish forces emphasize that they are acting in legitimate self-defense. “Our fighters are responding decisively to the ongoing attacks. The enemy has suffered heavy losses, both in personnel and equipment,” SDF sources said.
Fighting is also reported from Chil Agha in the canton of Cizîrê.