Kobane under serious threat as Damascus-linked factions besiege city

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) on Tuesday warned of a “dangerous escalation” across areas administered by the Kurdish-led autonomous administration, cautioning that extremist armed groups affiliated with Damascus now pose a direct and serious threat to the city of Kobane, which is effectively under siege.

Over the past 24 hours, Damascus-aligned forces have reportedly made significant territorial advances along the eastern banks of the Euphrates River, including in Tabqa, Raqqa, and Deir ez-Zor. The developments come despite a ceasefire brokered on Sunday under US mediation, as clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Damascus-affiliated factions continue unabated.

According to documents obtained by the Kurdish-led SDF, the security landscape has grown increasingly complex, with mounting allegations of war crimes committed by Syrian government forces and allied armed groups.

The SDC, the political wing of the SDF, said the city of Kobane - “a global symbol of resistance against Daesh and the starting point of the organization’s collapse” - is now facing a direct and unprecedented threat.

“Attacking Kobane is an attack on liberal and democratic values,” the SDC said in a statement. “It is an act of revenge against those who shattered terrorism.”

A symbol of resistance

In 2014, ISIS militants controlled vast swathes of territory across Syria and Iraq. In mid-September of that year, the group launched a brutal siege on Kobane, capturing village after village and tightening its grip around the city. Thousands of civilians were forced to flee across the border into Turkey.

With decisive support from the US-led Global Coalition against ISIS and reinforcements from Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Region, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) repelled ISIS militants in January 2015, followed by the liberation of surrounding areas in the weeks that followed.

The battle marked ISIS’s first major military defeat and propelled Kobane into global headlines as a powerful symbol of resistance against extremism.

The victory, however, came at a devastating cost. Nearly 70 percent of the city was destroyed during weeks of intense fighting. In the years since, local authorities and residents have painstakingly rebuilt homes and infrastructure, restoring basic services and breathing life back into the battered city.

War crimes

Recent videos circulating on social media appear to show captured SDF fighters and civilians being insulted, beaten, and executed by armed men believed to be affiliated with Damascus.

Earlier on Monday, the SDF accused Damascus-aligned factions of decapitating several of its fighters in Rojava, releasing footage it described as a “heinous crime” committed and documented “in the style of” ISIS.

The footage reportedly shows at least four captured fighters in military uniforms, while Arabic-speaking men refer to them as “Havalan” -  Kurdish for comrades - and use derogatory language, including references to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“Hanging YPJ fighters after taking them captive, as well as releasing ISIS prisoners, constitutes a direct threat that enables the resurgence of terror,” the SDC said. “Such acts pose grave regional and international risks.”

The council further warned that Kurdish communities could face massacres similar to those suffered by Druze and Alawite populations last year.

According to the SDC, the latest attacks deliberately target forces “that stood at the forefront of the fight against Daesh and played a decisive role in defeating the organization.”