ERBIL Kurdistan Region - The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Friday announced that four of its fighters were killed in a drone strike in northeast Syria (Rojava) and blamed Turkey for their deaths.
The strike targeted fighters of the Kurdish-led force in Khirbat Khowa village in the Amuda district of Hasaka at 7 o’clock on Friday evening, the SDF said, adding that it will release more information later.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that “unidentified” people were injured in the strike. According to the war monitor, this is the second Turkish drone strike in the region in 24 hours.
The SDF accused Turkey of “undermining security and stability in the region” with its attacks.
Ankara frequently targets the SDF and its Kurdish backbone the People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria on the grounds that they have links with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and pose a threat to Turkey.
The PKK is an armed group fighting for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. Ankara considers the group and its alleged offshoots in Syria as terrorist organizations and has carried out two major military operations against them since 2018.
According to SOHR, Turkish drones have carried out 29 attacks on areas controlled by the SDF in 2023, killing a total of 44 people - 10 civilians, including a child and a woman, 31 military personnel and three soldiers of the Syrian regime.
