A fragile 15-day ceasefire in northern Syria appeared to be collapsing on Wednesday as government forces tightened their siege on the Kurdish stronghold of Kobani, plunging the city into a humanitarian crisis that local officials warn is approaching "Gaza-like" conditions.
Despite the truce extension announced on January 24, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported over 20 distinct ceasefire violations by Syrian government and Turkish-backed militias in the last 24 hours alone. The heaviest fighting has concentrated around the villages of Kharab Ashk and al-Jalabiya, southeast of the city, where Damascus-aligned troops launched coordinated assaults supported by Turkish-manufactured Bayraktar drones.
The encirclement has severed all lifelines to Kobani, a city of approximately 400,000 people now hosting over 100,000 displaced civilians. Essential services, including the main electricity grid and water pumping stations, have been cut off for days, leaving residents freezing in severe winter conditions. Medical sources inside the city confirmed on Tuesday that at least four children have died recently due to exposure and a critical lack of medication.
"The specter of a total siege has resurfaced," reported the Kurdish Red Crescent, which issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations. While a UN convoy of 24 trucks managed to enter the city on January 25, aid workers say the supplies are woefully insufficient, reaching less than 2% of the trapped population. The Barzani Charity Foundation has scaled up operations, assisting nearly 58,000 displaced people across the region, but access to the besieged city remains blocked by government checkpoints.
The escalation marks a perilous turn in the conflict between the Kurdish-led autonomous administration and the central government in Damascus. While negotiations for the integration of the SDF into the Syrian army are technically ongoing, the military reality on the ground suggests a forceful reconquest is underway.
The timing is bitter for the city’s defenders. This week marked the 11th anniversary of Kobani’s legendary 2015 liberation from the Islamic State (ISIS), a victory once celebrated globally as the turning point against terror. Today, the very forces that defeated ISIS are encircled by their former tactical allies, with the US-led coalition remaining largely on the sidelines.
"Our forces are ready for war and political solutions," said SDF commander Mazloum Abdi in a televised address, though he admitted the window for a peaceful settlement is closing rapidly. As night fell on Wednesday, the sound of artillery continued to echo from the southern countryside, signaling that the battle for Kobani may have only just begun.
Photo: ANF