The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported on Thursday that Turkish air strikes have resulted in the deaths of 12 civilians in northeastern Syria, including two children. The strikes come in the wake of a deadly attack on a defense firm near Ankara, which Turkish authorities attribute to Kurdish militants.
In a statement, the SDF detailed that over the past hours, there has been a "new wave of Turkish attacks" targeting northern and eastern Syria, leaving 25 others wounded. The air strikes not only hit populated areas but also struck essential infrastructure, including bakeries, power stations, oil facilities, and checkpoints of the Kurdish Internal Security Forces. The SDF also mentioned that Turkish shelling has intensified in the region.
The air strikes were launched on Wednesday, following an attack that killed five people at a defense facility in Ankara. The Turkish government has indicated that this attack was "very likely" carried out by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). In response, the Turkish defense ministry confirmed that an air operation was executed targeting what they described as "terrorist targets" in northern Iraq and Syria, claiming that a total of 32 targets associated with the PKK were successfully destroyed.
The SDF played a crucial role in the campaign that ousted Islamic State group jihadists from their last territories in Syria in 2019. However, Turkey regards the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), a dominant force within the SDF, as an extension of the PKK, which is classified as a terrorist organization by Ankara and several Western nations.
Since 2016, Turkey has conducted a series of cross-border offensives into northern Syria, seeking to diminish the influence of Kurdish forces in the region. Turkish troops and allied rebel factions now control significant areas of northern Syria. The latest developments further escalate tensions in a region already marked by conflict and instability.
