This Week in Northern Syria [6.2025]

February 5-11: the end of Etilaf, HTS security enters Afrin, al-Houl releases and repatriations, and more...

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DAANES/SDF

02/05/25: Pro-SDF outlet Hawar interviewed the co-chair of the DAANES’s al-Furat province Water Corporation on efforts to repair the Shuyoukh Fawqani water station, which supplies water to the northern Kobani countryside. According to the official the station has been targeted several times by Turkey, including on December 10th and most recently on February 2nd, after it had been brought back on line. The importance of this station and others like it in the region has increased since water and electricity provided by the Tishin dam have ceased due to ongoing fighting in the area. The following day Hawar covered the water pump situation to the south in the al-Jurniyah region, where Turkish strikes had also reportedly targeted stations in recent days.

Shuyoukh Fawqani water station after reported February 2nd Turkish airstrikes (source)

02/06/25: A Turkish or SNA drone attack reportedly targeted protestors taking part in the ongoing DAANES-organized demonstrations at Tishrin dam, injuring several. See newsletters #2 and #3 for more on similar attacks and the demonstrations overall.

02/07/25: The SDF published a video of a raid reportedly carried out the day prior, targeting an SNA position in the vicinity of Tell SyriaTel, located 3.2km northwest of Tishrin dam. The SNA has failed to advance in weeks though intensity of SNA attacks appears to have deceased since the January 30th “Victory Conference” in which faction leaders publicly agreed to dissolve into the new Syrian military. SDF maneuverability on this front continues to be abetted by its system of defensive tunnels dug over the years, in addition to the seasonal cloudy weather seen in the video offering cover from Turkish drones. Meanwhile throughout the rest of the week the SDF published footage of a raid targeting SNA front line positions on the Tell Tamer front in addition to several drone attacks mostly targeting SNA hilltop positions around the Qaraqozak bridge.

02/07/25: The Kurdish National Council (ENKS) announced its withdrawal from Etilaf, the main international-facing Syrian opposition body, citing its lack relevance given the fall of the Asad regime. Suleiman Oso of the ENKS executive council told Enab Baladi that the ENKS efforts at securing “constitutional recognition of the Kurdish people and their national rights, through dialogue with the Damascus government” will continue. Meanwhile efforts between the SDF and ENKS to come to some sort of unity agreement continue.

ENKS spokesman Faisal Yousef