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HASAKA, Syria - Although a fragile ceasefire has brought clashes largely to a halt, Kurdish fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) say they are prepared to mount fierce resistance against the rapid advance of armed factions affiliated with Damascus, vowing to fight until the last drop of blood.
The fighters remain firmly positioned along frontlines in Hasaka province, on high alert and ready to repel any potential attack by Damascus-backed forces.
“We are Kurds, and we must take up our weapons to face the enemy,” Swara Jameel, an SDF fighter, told Rudaw. “We will confront anyone who tries to attack us.”
The resolve comes amid intensified military operations by the Syrian Arab Army and allied armed groups. Since mid-January, Damascus-affiliated factions have pushed into Kurdish-held areas of eastern Aleppo, as well as parts of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and the predominantly Kurdish Hasaka province.
Jameel said the SDF would continue to resist “until the last drop of blood.”
“We are ready for martyrdom for our country and our nation - not only in Rojava, but for the Kurdish people everywhere,” he said.
Despite what he described as international backing for Damascus during the latest offensive, another SDF fighter, Zindan Abeed, said Kurdish morale remains unbroken.
Abeed, who has fought in numerous battles against the Islamic State (ISIS), said Kurds cannot be defeated as long as they remain united.
“From the very beginning of the Rojava revolution until 2014-2015, they [the U.S.-led coalition] were not with us,” Abeed said. “We were alone, fighting with our own weapons. There is nothing more to say about the United States.”
Kurdish fighters repeatedly stressed that unity is paramount in times of crisis.
“We can only say that Kurds have no friends but themselves,” Abeed said. “Whether from Bashur [the Kurdistan Region], Bakur [southeast Turkey], Rojava [northeast Syria], or Rojhelat [western Iran], Kurds must unite and resist. If they do, no force can defeat them.”
Despite the current ceasefire, fighters on the ground believe the conflict is far from over. In addition to maintaining frontlines stretching hundreds of kilometers, Kurdish forces have also been deployed inside cities.
During recent fighting, Syrian government forces and allied groups captured areas that had been under SDF control for nearly a decade, territory the Kurdish-led forces had previously defended from Islamic State advances.
On Saturday, Syria’s interim defense ministry and the SDF said they had agreed to extend the ceasefire by 15 days after an initial four-day truce expired, despite reports of troop movements and tense standoffs.
Meanwhile, Damascus and the SDF continue U.S.-mediated talks aimed at integrating Kurdish-administered regions and Kurdish-led forces under Syrian state control.
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