At least three women were killed after a Turkish airstrike targeted a civilian house in Halanj village in southeastern Kobane, according to a statement by the Asayish (internal security forces) of northern Syria, published by the Rojava Information Center.
The head of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) press office tweeted late Tuesday confirmed the Turkish airstrike, reporting four civilians were killed in the attack.
US Department of State statement also mentioned civilians killed in “terrorist attacks” in Tel Halaf town in Sari Kani on Tuesday, purportedly referring to a car bomb.The explosion, which hit the center of Tel Halaf, allegedly killed four civilians and wounded dozens others, according to a report Tuesday by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, tweeted on Wednesday that the continuation of the violence in Syria prevents a conclusion to the conflict.
We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of innocent civilians killed and those wounded in Syria in the terrorist attack in Tel Halaf and the airstrike in Kobane. A continued spiral of violence impedes hope for a lasting political resolution to the conflict in Syria.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 24, 2020
“A continued spiral of violence impedes the hope for any such resolution,” reads the Department of State statement.
Sari Kani has been controlled by Turkish-backed factions since October of last year following Operation Peace Spring, a military offensive launched by Ankara to clear the area of the SDF.
The town now lies in a ‘buffer zone’ under the control of Turkish-backed militias, stretching from Sari Kani to the town of Gire Spi (Tel Abyad).
Extensive looting and destruction of civilian property has been widely reported since militias took over the area, particularly against minority groups including Kurds and Yezidis.
