ANKARA/DAMASCUS — Turkey launched a major cross-border military operation into northern Syria early Saturday, deploying ground forces and conducting airstrikes against Kurdish militia positions near Manbij, the Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed. The operation, dubbed Shield of the Euphrates, marks Ankara’s largest military incursion into Syrian territory since 2019.
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said the operation was launched to neutralize terrorist threats from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Ankara designates as a terrorist organization linked to the PKK. Güler said Turkish forces had established a 15-kilometer deep security corridor along the border and seized control of five villages southwest of Manbij.
The SDF said Turkish warplanes carried out 28 strikes on civilian areas, killing at least 11 people and wounding dozens more. SDF commander Mazloum Abdi called the offensive an unprovoked aggression and appealed to the US-led coalition for air defense support.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned the incursion as a gross violation of sovereignty and demanded an emergency UN Security Council session. Russia, which maintains forces in the area, said it was deeply alarmed and called for immediate de-escalation.
The Pentagon said US forces in the region were monitoring the situation closely but had not engaged. Two US officials told Media Hook that Washington had privately warned Turkey against the operation but was ignored.
The operation risks opening a new front in Syria’s multi-sided conflict and could draw in both Russian and American forces operating in proximity. NATO allies expressed concern that the Turkish offensive could destabilize the US-backed SDF, which has been a key partner in counter-ISIS operations.
Written by Layla Hassan, Correspondent