Early Monday morning, Syrian Kurdish fighters launched an offensive against Turkey-backed Syrian opposition forces in northern Syria, leading to the deaths of at least five individuals. This attack unfolded south of Afrin, a town currently controlled by Turkish-backed forces.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the attack occurred shortly after midnight on Sunday. Separately, Turkey's Defense Ministry confirmed that two Turkish soldiers lost their lives on Sunday in an attack by members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq. One soldier succumbed to injuries sustained during the attack.

These incidents represent a continuation of the escalating tensions between Turkey, its supported groups, and Kurdish fighters in Syria and Iraq. Turkey asserts that the primary Syrian Kurdish militia is affiliated with the PKK, which has been waging an insurgency against Turkey since 1984. This conflict has claimed the lives of tens of thousands.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights identified the Afrin Liberation Forces as the perpetrators of Monday's attack. This Kurdish faction is allied with the People's Protection Units (YPG), the main Kurdish militia in Syria. This group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks against Turkish-backed Syrian fighters.

Syrian opposition activist Taher al-Omar reported that the attack occurred approximately 12 miles south of Afrin, resulting in the deaths of five members of the Turkey-backed Failaq al-Sham. While the Observatory reported six fatalities, discrepancies in casualty counts are common in the immediate aftermath of such events.

Afrin has been under the control of Turkey and its allied Syrian opposition fighters since 2018, following a military operation that displaced Syrian Kurdish fighters and thousands of Kurdish residents.

Since 2018, Afrin and its surrounding villages have been the targets of numerous attacks directed at Turkish and Turkish-backed forces. Turkey designates the Syrian Kurdish fighters controlling a significant portion of Syrian territory along its border as terrorists, linked to Kurdish insurgents within Turkey.

In another incident on Monday, Kurdish fighters launched several rockets at a Turkish army base near Azaz, according to reports from the Observatory and al-Omar. Casualty information was not immediately available.

The Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported that at least nine rockets were fired at Azaz from Kurdish positions in the nearby town of Tal Rifaat. While the attack resulted in damage, Anadolu did not report any casualties.

These violent events follow two explosions in northern Syria on Sunday that claimed the lives of eight people, including three members of a Syrian Kurdish-led group in Manbij.