The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that they had successfully shot down a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 combat drone near the Qaraqozak Bridge in northern Raqqa.
The incident occurred on January 1, 2025, and was announced by the SDF Media Center, which released footage of the drone being shot down.
Self-Defense Forces read the statement, “At exactly 1:00 pm today, our fighter jets successfully shot down a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone near the Karakozak Bridge.”
Although footage of the shootdown and images of the wreckage have been circulating on social media, the exact weapon system used to shoot down the drone has not been disclosed.
The Bayraktar TB2 is a popular Turkish drone used in several military operations, including in Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine.
Despite state-of-the-art technology, the SDF has demonstrated an increasing ability to neutralize such threats. In mid-December, the Self-Defense Forces released Footage of another successful TB-2 drone shootdown.
According to the SDF Media Center, the incident is the third Turkish drone shot down by SDF forces in the last month, highlighting the Self-Defense Forces’ continued success in countering Turkish drone operations.
The increase in drone clashes in Syria is part of broader geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Turkey, and Kurdish forces.
In addition to the actions of the Self-Defense Forces, a major incident occurred in October 2023, when a U.S. Air Force F-16 shot down a Turkish drone that came dangerously close to U.S. forces in northeastern Syria.
The drone is believed to have targeted Kurdish YPG militants near U.S. positions, prompting a rare show of force between the NATO allies. At the time, U.S. officials said they made multiple calls to the Turkish government to redirect the drone before the decision to shoot it down was made.
The Turkish government later denied that the drone involved belonged to its country, but did not say which party was responsible for its operation.
The drone is widely believed to be of the Anka-S type, a medium-altitude, long-lasting unmanned aerial vehicle.
The Anka-S is larger than the Bayraktar TB2, with a weapons payload of up to 200 kg (450 lb) and can carry advanced weapons such as laser-guided anti-tank missiles and guided rocket pods.
SDF accuses Turkey of ceasefire violation
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has repeatedly accused Turkey and its allied rebels of violating a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
A ceasefire aimed at bringing stability to northern Syria has been undermined by continued Turkish military attacks on key strategic locations such as the outskirts of Kobani, the Tishreen dam and Ain Issa.
“The Turkish state and its proxies are ignoring all efforts to de-escalate tensions and intensifying their aggression,” the SDF said in a statement.
Despite the United States helping to broker a ceasefire agreement, the region remains fraught with conflict, with each side accusing the other of undermining the fragile ceasefire.
On December 30, 2024, just two days before the downing of the Turkish drone, the US Department of Defense confirmed that a ceasefire in the Manbij area was still in place. Department of Defense Spokesperson Sabrina Singh said“A ceasefire continues in that northern part of Syria.”

However, recent clashes, including the downing of a drone, show the instability of the situation and raise concerns about the possibility of further escalation.
Amid these tensions, reports have emerged indicating that the United States is expanding its military presence in northern Syria.
Videos and images circulating Signs on social media suggest that US troops and equipment are heading to the Turkish border city of Kobani, where there is a violent conflict between the Kurdish-led SDF and Turkish-backed forces.
The United States has about 2,000 troops in Syria, primarily focused on countering ISIS. However, the presence of Kobani appears to signal a shift in strategy to build a new United Nations base in the region.
The United States has long maintained that its troops in Syria are there to fight ISIS, but recent developments have brought broader geopolitical dynamics into focus.
The Turkish government has long maintained that the SDF is essentially an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated a terrorist organization by both Turkey and the United States.
However, the US government maintains that the SDF and PKK are separate entities, a point of contention between NATO allies.