Syria is in fierce battle, with over 100 combatants killed

More than 100 militants have died in the past two days as Turkish-backed Syrian Arab militias fought Kurdish forces for control of villages in northern Syria, a war monitor said on Wednesday.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the two sides had clashed since Monday evening in several villages around the town of Manbij, killing 101 fighters, including 85 members of the Turkey-backed factions and 16 fighters from the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

"Our forces have repelled all Turkish attacks on our areas in coordination with our allies. We will not tolerate any aggression on our cities and villages," the SDF said in a statement carried by Enab Balad news agency.

The Islamist-led National Salvation Front, a coalition of rebel groups that opposes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, launched the offensive as Russian and Turkish troops battled in the country's northwestern Idlib province on November 27.

Following an 11-day offensive that saw Syrian government forces retake Idlib province from Turkish forces, Turkish-backed Syrian factions began fresh attacks on Kurdish forces in the north of the country.

These attacks led to the fall of Manbij and the nearby town of Tal Rifaat from Kurdish control. Clashes between the two sides have continued to rage, claiming dozens more casualties.

Rami Abdul Rahmann, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Turkish-backed groups planned to capture the Kurdish-held cities of Kobane and Tabqa "before reaching Raqqa".