A devastating humanitarian crisis is rapidly escalating across northeast Syria (Rojava) as Damascus-affiliated armed factions, reportedly linked to ISIS, continue their brutal assault on Kurdish-held territories despite a US-brokered ceasefire. The violence has triggered mass displacement, civilian massacres, and desperate conditions that have already claimed lives—including a 60-year-old man who froze to death in a makeshift shelter.
Fierce Clashes Erupt Around Kobane
Kurdish fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Women's Protection Units (YPJ), and the People's Protection Units (YPG) are engaged in intense combat against advancing militant groups in the southeastern countryside of Kobane.
According to ANF News Agency, SDF and YPJ fighters inflicted heavy losses on militant forces along the Çelebiyê front, destroying numerous tanks and armored vehicles while seizing others in a significant counter-offensive. The agency reported that Kurdish forces have cornered Turkish-backed militants, ISIS elements, and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters in the village of Çelebî.
"When the militants failed to achieve results on the ground, they requested reconnaissance and armed drone support from the occupying Turkish state," ANF reported, adding that Turkish drones are now "continuously bombing" the villages of Çelebiyê, Xirab Hişkê, and Zêrikê.
The Kurdish fighters continue to mount what they describe as "legitimate self-defense" against attacks that have persisted despite the ceasefire agreement.
"Horrific Massacres" Against Civilian Families
The violence has taken a horrific toll on civilian populations. On Monday, Damascus-affiliated factions carried out what Kurdish authorities are calling deliberate massacres against Kurdish families.
Rudaw reported that the SDF accused Damascus-backed militants of perpetrating "a massacre against the Bozan family" in a village southeast of Kobane, killing five family members and injuring five others through artillery shelling. Video footage released by the SDF showed injured civilians, including women and children.
The Hawar News Agency provided further devastating details: In addition to the Bozan family massacre in Kharab Ashk village, another attack struck the village of Al-Qasimiya in Al-Qanaya, claiming the life of a child and injuring three other children.
The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) condemned these attacks in the strongest terms. "These two massacres constitute a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, as targeting civilians is considered a war crime punishable under international law," the administration stated, according to Hawar News Agency.
Ceasefire In Tatters: Over 20 Violations Documented
The US-brokered ceasefire, which took effect in mid-January and was extended on Saturday for 15 days, appears to exist in name only.
Rudaw reported that the SDF has documented more than 20 ceasefire violations by Damascus-affiliated factions since the agreement was announced. The violations include drone strikes, artillery bombardments, and ground assaults across multiple fronts.
"Three civilians were injured in a drone strike carried out by Damascus-affiliated factions in the village of al-Milibiya," the SDF stated, according to Rudaw, adding that clashes remain "ongoing in the village of al-Safa" with multiple drone strikes causing civilian casualties.
"While reaffirming that our forces are exercising their legitimate right to self-defense, we hold Damascus fully responsible for these violations," the SDF declared, urging "the guarantor parties to the ceasefire agreement to assume their responsibilities and take urgent action to halt these attacks."
Isis Ideology Resurfaces In New Form
Kurdish authorities are sounding the alarm that the current attacks represent a dangerous resurgence of extremist violence.
The DAANES warned that the region "faces extremely dangerous circumstances, as it is subjected to ongoing attacks by factions that include elements and groups linked ideologically and organizationally to ISIS," according to Rudaw.
"These attacks are nothing but an attempt to reproduce terrorism in new forms and to complete what ISIS failed to achieve militarily," the administration stated, as the anniversary of Kobane's liberation from ISIS approaches.
Kobane holds profound significance for Kurds worldwide. In 2014-2015, the city became a symbol of resistance after Kurdish fighters, supported by the US-led Coalition and reinforcements from Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces, repelled a brutal ISIS siege that had displaced tens of thousands.
Over 100,000 Displaced, Freezing To Death In Makeshift Shelters
The humanitarian situation has reached catastrophic proportions. Rudaw reported that Rula Amin, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Middle East, confirmed that "more than 100,000 people are estimated to have been displaced" due to the ongoing violence, with "harsh winter conditions" further worsening their plight.
The scenes unfolding in Qamishli are nothing short of apocalyptic. Rudaw documented Kurdish families huddling around open fires in abandoned buildings, desperate to survive freezing temperatures.
Hussein Hamzi, a 62-year-old man displaced from Afrin—now experiencing displacement for the fifth time with his family of nine—stood barefoot near a fire as he spoke to Rudaw.
"We are hardly surviving. We are exposed to the cold. We have ended up here in an open place. We are succumbing to this fire to save our children from death," Hamzi said. "We have reached a point where we might all die together where we stand. We are tasting every kind of hardship; the world needs to see this."
In one dark public building in Qamishli, at least 43 families are crammed into rooms without electricity or running water. The floors are muddy and filthy. In one 12-square-meter room, 15 people from four different families are living together.
The cold has already killed. According to Rudaw, 60-year-old Mohammed Qasim died in the building just four days ago after succumbing to the freezing temperatures.
His wife, Sultan Yousuf, recounted his final hours: "He was staying in the doorway by the fire until 3 in the morning. When I found him he had already passed away. There is no water, there is nothing. Because of this cold, women and men—people—are dying. No water, no electricity, nothing."
Another displaced person from Raqqa posed an anguished question: "You say you are a descendant of Adam, and I am a descendant of Adam. You say you are a Muslim, and I am a Muslim. You say 'there is no god but Allah,' and I say 'there is no god but Allah.' Why do you come in the name of God to kill humans? Children and little girls are shivering in the cold—where are we supposed to go?"
Unofficial figures suggest around 5,000 displaced people have arrived in Qamishli alone over the past 10 days, with thousands more sheltering in schools and with relatives across the region, Rudaw reported. While aid convoys have reached Kobane, UNHCR's Amin stressed that "the needs are far greater."
International Community Condemned For Silence
Kurdish authorities have issued scathing criticism of the international community's response—or lack thereof.
The DAANES condemned "international silence regarding these repeated crimes and violations" against civilians in Rojava, according to Rudaw, while reaffirming "its continued commitment to defending its people, its democratic project, and the values of coexistence, no matter the challenges."
The Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Euphrates Canton called for "urgent intervention from the international community, human rights, and humanitarian organizations to hold the perpetrators accountable and immediately stop the attacks against the civilian population," according to Hawar News Agency.
Photo: ANF