Syrian opposition groups investigate PKK/YPG tunnel network in Tel Rifaat

By Can Efesoy, Ahmet Karaahmet, Esref Musa, Mehmet Burak Karacaoglu and Omer Koparan

TEL RIFAAT (AA) - After liberating it from the terrorist group PKK/YPG, the opposition Syrian National Army has uncovered a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) tunnel network in the northwestern city of Tal Rifaat.

Anadolu was there to capture the tunnel network in Tel Rifaat, a district of Aleppo, on camera.

A search followed by Anadolu of the tunnels dug meters below the buildings found stacked barrels, electrical cables, and rooms with beds behind iron doors.

The tunnels were seen to be about 1 meter wide by 2 meters high (3.3 by 6.6 feet).

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) footage of the city shows that many houses in Tel Rifaat, which has been under terrorist occupation for years, have fallen into disrepair due to a lack of maintenance.

- Civilian settlements for terrorist activities

The terrorist PKK/YPG – the Syrian-based branch of the terrorist PKK, a group that has waged a long, destructive, and futile terror campaign against Türkiye – has dug tunnels in the territories it occupies in Syria, especially near the border, to hide, infiltrate, and launch sudden attacks. The tunnels are also used to transport materials from one region to another.

The terrorist group was previously seen digging tunnels and pits in other Syrian provinces and settlements, including Afrin, Manbij, Aynularab, Tel Abyad, Ras al-Ayn, Sirrin, Qamishli, Hasakah and Malikiyya.

The terrorists, who use civilians as human shields, usually dig tunnels leading to houses, schools, hospitals and places of worship in the areas they occupy.

- Operation Dawn of Freedom against terrorist PKK/YPG

The SNA launched Operation Dawn of Freedom on Sunday to counter PKK/YPG attempts to establish a terrorist corridor linking Tel Rifaat with northeastern Syria. Amid attacks on Syria’s Assad regime, the terrorist PKK/YPG is seeking to exploit the unclear security situation to establish a terrorist corridor.

In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, infants, and the elderly.

The YPG is the PKK's offshoot in Syria, the scene of the current fighting, and an area where for years the group has tried to establish a terrorist corridor along the Turkish border.​​​​​​​

In recent years Türkiye has deployed troops and worked with local allies such as the SNA to prevent this and keep locals safe from terrorist oppression.

*Writing by Efe Ozkan