ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Wednesday that the Syrian National Army (SNA), with Turkish air support, has continued attacks on the symbolic Kurdish city of Kobane in northern Syria and posed a threat to the crucial Tishreen Dam despite the US-brokered ceasefire which has been extended through the end of the week. “Despite ongoing de-escalation efforts by the United States of America, the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries continued their attacks on numerous areas in the vicinity of Kobani, the Tishreen Dam, and Ain Issa yesterday and today,” the SDF said in a statement, noting that the SNA, a coalition of Ankara-backed militia groups, on Tuesday attacked the Tishreen Dam near Manbij city with Turkish air support. The US-backed force also noted that attacks continued from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning, targeting Kobane city, the Tishreen Dam and villages in Ain Issa. Kurdish officials had repeatedly warned that the recent attacks on the dam have severely damaged the structure of the dam and its operations. Earlier on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that the SDF and the SNA were “committing to the US-brokered ceasefire agreement,” elaborating that the extended deal went into effect from midnight on Tuesday to Wednesday. However, the Observatory later reported that the SNA had violated the truce. SDF has also warned that Turkey and SNA have prepared to strike Kobane after rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime earlier this month. They first moved against the US-backed SDF by attacking the northwestern Shahba region, taking Tal Rifaat and Manbij. The US brokered a four-day ceasefire between the SDF and Turkey last week, which State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said was extended on Tuesday. On Tuesday, a Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) representative in Washington said that the US wants to sustain the ceasefire deal but blamed Ankara for its continued “aggressive stance against the Kurds.” The SDC is the political arm of the US-backed SDF - the de-facto army of northeast Syria (Rojava). SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi on Tuesday said they are committed to a “comprehensive” ceasefire across Syria and proposed the establishment of a “demilitarized zone” in Kobane under US supervision, an initiative he stated “aims to address Turkish security concerns and ensure the long-term stability of the region.” Turkey has yet to respond.
