Newsletters
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said a total of 755 kilometers (469.13 miles) of tunnels used by the PKK/YPG terrorist organization have been detected and destroyed in the northern Syrian regions of Tel Rifaat and Manbij, describing the network as evidence of extensive planning, engineering expertise and external support.
“The organization designed these as secure transit corridors for hiding and for the transfer of weapons and personnel,” Guler said.
“It is assessed that a tunnel network of this scale was excavated not only with primitive means, but with engineering knowledge, technical equipment and external support.”
Speaking to Turkish media outlet Gazete Oksijen, Guler said the tunnels were uncovered during search-and-sweep operations conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces in Syrian operational areas.
“As a result of meticulous activities, a total tunnel network of 755 kilometers, 302 kilometers in the Tel Rifaat region and 453 kilometers in Manbij, has so far been detected and destroyed,” he said.
“These figures clearly reveal the scale of the underground infrastructure that the terrorist organization has created over the years.”
He said comprehensive efforts are ongoing to map the tunnel networks through technical analysis and reconnaissance.
The scale of the tunnel infrastructure became more visible after the SDF, the Syrian branch of the PKK, withdrew from large areas in northern Syria and handed control to the central government in Damascus.
The tunnel networks first came to light after Dec. 8, 2024, when Bashar Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia, ending Baath Party rule that had been in place since 1963.
A transitional administration led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa was formed in January 2025.
The Syrian Army has since continued search-and-sweep operations in areas cleared of the SDF terror group, including tunnels in Sarrin, east of the Euphrates River. The SDF is dominated by the YPG.
Asked how long it may have taken to excavate tunnels totaling 755 kilometers, Guler said technical assessments indicate they were built over many years.
“These tunnels were not constructed in a short period of time, but through a planned, organized process that also benefited from external support,” he said. “Continuous manpower, engineering knowledge and technical equipment were used.”
In recent weeks, the YPG/SDF withdrawal from neighborhoods in Aleppo and later from large areas east of the Euphrates led to the discovery of additional tunnel networks beyond those previously detected in Tel Rifaat and Manbij.
Images reflected in the media show extensive underground infrastructure and living spaces established in many areas formerly under PKK/YPG/SDF control.
Among the most notable discoveries were tunnels and underground living areas uncovered in the town of Sirrin, about 35 kilometers south of Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobani, near the Turkish border east of the Euphrates. Assessments indicate a tunnel starting in Sirrin extends as far as Kobani.
Officials said the newly discovered tunnels point to additional capacity beyond the 755 kilometers already detected and destroyed.
The total length of tunnels built by the PKK/YPG in Syria is expected to become clearer after reconnaissance activities continue in areas that have recently come under Syrian army control.
Meanwhile, Syrian security forces began entering the city of Qamishli in Hasakah province on Tuesday under a ceasefire and phased integration agreement with the SDF.
State news agency SANA said a convoy of internal security forces entered the northeastern city. Syria’s Interior Ministry earlier said its forces were on alert to deploy under the agreement.
On Friday, the Syrian government announced it had reached a “comprehensive agreement” with the SDF aimed at ending the country’s division and laying the groundwork for full integration.
The agreement, covering Hasakah and Qamishli and the integration of military forces, complements a deal signed Jan. 18 calling for a ceasefire and the integration of SDF members and institutions into the Syrian state.
Syrian authorities said the earlier agreement followed a military operation in which the Syrian Army regained large areas of eastern and northeastern Syria after repeated violations by the SDF of a March 2025 accord.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
