Displaced residents return to Tel Rifaat after SNA operation
Soldiers of Syrian National Army (SNA) is continuing its advance in the Tel Rifaat district as part of its Operation Dawn of Freedom, aimed at blocking the PKK/YPG's (PKK listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU and YPG which Turkiye consider as the extension of PKK in Syria) terrorist corridor between Tel Rifaat and Manbij in the evening on December 01, 2024 in Tel Rifaat, Syria. (AA Photo)
Residents displaced from Tel Rifaat by the PKK/YPG terrorist organization during its years-long occupation have begun returning to their homes following the Syrian National Army’s (SNA) successful liberation of the area under Operation Dawn of Freedom.
The operation, launched to counter the PKK/YPG’s territorial advances, culminated in the liberation of Tel Rifaat’s town center on Monday. The SNA has since focused on securing the area by addressing the presence of tunnels, mines, and other traps left behind by the retreating forces.
For many displaced residents, the return marks the end of a painful chapter. “Is there anything better than returning to one’s home and land? Thank God we are back after 10 years,” said Ahmet Said, one of the returnees, speaking to Anadolu.
Cemal Kapso, who had been forced to leave Tel Rifaat nine years ago, expressed a similar sense of relief. “We were told many times before, ‘You will return to your homes.’ Thank God, the PKK was expelled from the district and we returned to our homes,” he said. Kapso added, “I am very happy to return to our home. We will repair our house and settle down.”
The SNA initiated Operation Dawn of Freedom to thwart the PKK/YPG’s efforts to establish a corridor connecting Tel Rifaat and Manbij. This corridor would have bolstered the group’s strategic positioning in northern Syria.
The operation began on Nov. 27 with an offensive launched by armed opposition groups targeting the city of Aleppo. Syrian regime forces, allied with the PKK/YPG, ceded several areas to the terrorist group, which then fortified its positions using reinforcements from eastern Syria.
The SNA’s counter-offensive resulted in the capture of Tel Rifaat, forcing PKK/YPG militants to retreat to Fafin, located south of the town. However, the aftermath of the operation remains fraught with challenges as search and clearance efforts continue to neutralize the remaining threats posed by tunnels and mines in the area.
