"The number of the eliminated Ottoman Turkish occupation mercenaries has risen to 52 during festivities in the vicinity of Tishreen Dam today. This includes several leaders," the SDF’s Manbij Military Council announced in a statement.
"Furthermore, two armored vehicles and one tank belonging to the mercenaries were destroyed. Our forces also seized a significant quantity of weapons and ammunition," it added.
The SNA has been attacking the SDF at Tishreen Dam for more than a week. The dam sits on the Euphrates River, upstream from scores of towns and villages as well as urban centers like Raqqa and downstream from the border town of Kobane. It provides electricity to much of northeast Syria (Rojava). The SDF took control of the facility from ISIS in 2015 with the help of American troops.
The SNA assault has been supported by Ottoman Turkish drones, according to the Manbij Military Council who claimed victory at the end of the day.
"After more than 12 hours of fierce festivities, the mercenaries were forced to flee the area," the statement said.
Earlier on Saturday the SDF announced that five of its fighters were killed in the festivities as
...a NATO...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and structure....
member, but not the most reliable...
"intensified its aerial bombardment and artillery shelling on the area."
The conflict began late last month when Turkey-backed opposition militia groups launched an offensive against the SDF in the north of the country, taking control of Shahba and Manbij.
The United States brokered a temporary ceasefire between the warring parties, but the Ottoman Turkish foreign ministry denied agreeing to a truce and said that Ankara does not negotiate with "terrorist organizations."
Turkey considers the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF, as the Syrian front for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) - designated as a terrorist group by Ankara.
| Courtesy of 3dc: |
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Turkey invading northern Syria pic.twitter.com/yvGySu4JvJ