German diplomats warn of escalating tension in Syria amid SDF-SNA clashes

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - German diplomats on Sunday warned against the escalating tensions between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian National Army (SNA) militias, during phone calls with General Commander Mazloum Abdi, amid ongoing attacks that have disrupted Kurdish counterterrorism operations.

“In my call to SDF Commander @MazloumAbdi I spoke about rising tensions in Kobane and urgent steps to diffuse them. Escalation between SDF and Turkish-backed forces would be disastrous for civilians,” Tobias Tunkel, the director of the Middle East and North Africa office of the German foreign office, said on X.

Tunkel said that the conflict “would impede international CT [counterterrorism] efforts and heavily strain the process in Syria.”

Stefan Schneck, Germany’s special envoy to Syria, also had a phone call with Abdi.

Schneck echoed Tunkel’s warning that escalations “could have a serious negative impact on the international fight against terrorism and the political process in Syria.”

The SDF has recently come under attack by the Ankara-backed SNA, which is part of a broader coalition of militia groups that joined forces against the now-collapsed regime of Bashar al-Assad. The attacks have prevented the SDF from continuing its operations against the Islamic State (ISIS).

ISIS cells have taken advantage of the chaos and security vacuums in Syria since the start of the escalations, carrying out hit-and-run attacks and gaining territories in the Syrian desert. The US-led coalition against ISIS has sought to keep the militants from regaining their footing in the new security landscape.

Several US Senators have expressed support for the SDF, with prominent Senators, Chris Van Hollen and Lindsey Graham, introducing a bill on Friday to impose sanctions on Turkey in response to its ongoing attacks on Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.

On Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on Turkey to respect Syria's sovereignty amid the offensive on the SDF. On Friday, however, after holding talks with her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara, she said that Kurdish forces in Syria must disarm and be integrated into the new government’s security apparatus.