The civilians holding a vigil at the Tishrin Dam near Manbij for 12 days have been subjected to repeated attacks by the invading Turkish army since the launch of the action on 8 January.

Two consecutive strikes by Turkish combat drones on Saturday claimed the lives of five civilians and left 20 others wounded.

Kurdish artist Cuma Xelo, known as Bavê Teyar, had joined the vigil on 17 January. The theater actor was seriously wounded as a result of Saturday’s attack and succumbed to his injuries today, bringing the death toll to 6.

Before he was injured, Bavê Teyar said in an interview with Rojnews: "We are not afraid of death, we will protect our lands until the end."

The other 5 victims, whose names were announced by the Qamishlo City Assembly of Martyrs' Families earlier today, were identified as Ekrem Rixo, Kêfo Osman, Menîce Heyder, Mizefer Mihemed and Ebdulqadir Îbrahîm.

The vigil at the Tishrin Dam was launched by the People's Councils in the DAANES – also in solidarity with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who are defending the dam against occupation attempts by Turkey and its proxy force SNA.

The Turkish and jihadist occupation forces launched their first attacks on the dam on December 8, 2024, the day of the overthrow of Syrian long-term ruler Bashar al-Assad. Turkey and its allies aim to push the SDF back from the western side of the Euphrates in order to be able to attack Kobanê, which lies to the east of it, more easily. The dam has been out of operation for weeks, leaving almost half a million people in Manbij, Kobanê and other areas of the DAANES without access to electricity and water. In addition, there is a risk of a dam burst due to the severe damage caused by Turkish shelling – which could trigger a disaster with effects as far as Iraq. Nevertheless, appeals to the international community to take measures to protect the energy facility and to end Turkish military violence were largely ignored.