Erdogan-backed militias attack Kurds as the Syrian regime collapses, with footage drawing comparisons to Hamas videos from October 7

Image: Jihad Watch

Turkey-aligned militias in northern Syria, backed by Ankara, have been mobilized to target Kurdish groups amid escalating violence in the region.

Over the weekend, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an independent opposition faction controlling Idlib province, launched a significant offensive against the Syrian regime, resulting in their retreat from Aleppo and substantial HTS gains on Friday and Saturday.

Northern Syria remains a fragmented and contested region. The Syrian regime’s withdrawal from Aleppo created a power vacuum. In addition to HTS and regime forces, other factions, such as the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), also operate there. Once a rebel group, the SNA has been repurposed by Turkey to maintain control over areas it has occupied in northern Syria, including Afrin, Sere Kaniyeh, and regions near Kilis and Manbij.

These factions, often accused of human rights abuses, function as armed militias. Turkey has previously employed the SNA to target Kurdish populations, notably during its 2018 invasion of Afrin, which displaced over 150,000 Kurds in what was described as ethnic cleansing.

On Sunday, videos emerged showing SNA militias attacking Kurdish civilians, storming a hospital, and mistreating Kurdish women. The footage, reminiscent of Hamas attacks on October 7, highlights similarities between Ankara-backed militias and extremist groups like Hamas. These factions have been accused of targeting civilians, engaging in looting, and perpetrating abuses, including abductions and killings, as documented by U.S. reports.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)