Turkish-backed forces advance on Kurdish areas in Aleppo, 200,000 face isolation

Damascus, Dec 2 Turkish-backed factions launched an offensive on Kurdish-held areas in Aleppo province, leading to the isolation of over 200,000 Syrian Kurds, a war monitor reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack, dubbed 'Operation Dawn of Freedom,' has targeted rural Aleppo, where over 200,000 Syrian Kurds reside, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Observatory said the Turkish-backed forces, operating under the Syrian National Army banner, have captured several areas, including the city of Tel Rifaat, and imposed sieges on others, cutting off roads and preventing civilians from fleeing to safety.

The assault has also been accompanied by a communication blackout, leaving residents unable to reach the outside world, said the Observatory.

In response, the Kurdish Autonomous Administration in Syria has declared a general mobilisation to resist the advancing forces.

Tel Rifaat and its surrounding areas have been under Kurdish control since 2016 and have become a refuge for Kurds displaced by previous Turkish military operations.

This offensive coincides with a broader escalation in Syria, where rebel groups such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and allied opposition factions are conducting major operations against government-controlled areas.

The Turkish government regards certain Kurdish groups in Syria, particularly the People's Protection Units (YPG), as a significant threat to its national security due to their alleged ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.