WASHINGTON, December 16. /TASS/. Pro-Turkish forces that are part of the coalition of military groups that came to power, and US-backed Kurdish forces may be on the brink of a civil war following the dissolution of Bashar Assad's government, The Washington Post reported.

According to the newspaper, the Kurds' potential attempt to declare independence would face staunch opposition from the new Syrian authorities and could "draw Ankara deeper into Syria [and its problems] and ensnare US forces" deployed in the country’s northeast.

The newspaper also suggests that there is a risk the Syrian opposition could collapse, prompting interventions by Israel, Turkey, and the US in Syria’s internal affairs. The further advance of pro-Turkish forces is likely to force the Kurdish forces to retreat, potentially jeopardizing the safety of US servicemen stationed in Syria.

Most of the territories in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Hasakah provinces are currently controlled by the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Since 2015, the US military has set up nine bases in the region, and the Kurds control 25% of Syria’s territory.

In late November, members of armed opposition groups launched a large-scale offensive against government positions in Aleppo and Idlib Governorates. By the evening of December 7, opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad had captured several major cities: Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Deraa, and Homs. They entered Damascus on December 8, after which Syrian army units withdrew. Bashar Assad resigned as Syrian president and left the city, issuing instructions for a peaceful transfer of power. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who has led the so-called Syrian Salvation Government formed by the opposition in Idlib since January 2024, announced his appointment as head of the Syrian transitional cabinet, which is expected to last until March 1, 2025.

Following the events in Damascus, the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army, which is part of the armed opposition coalition that came to power in Syria, declared a major operation against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The group refused to withdraw its forces from Manbij and Al Bab, areas that Ankara considers "hotbeds of terrorism." On December 9, the Free Syrian Army captured Manbij.