Turkey Launches Airstrikes on US Allies in Northeast Syria Following Terror Attack in Ankara
Turkey's Military Actions in Syria
Late on Wednesday, Turkey launched several airstrikes and artillery bombardments across the US-controlled regions of north and east Syria. The targets were positions held by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The attacks were aimed at several villages and locations in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo, Raqqa, and Hasakah. One of the strikes hit an SDF military outpost in the rural area of Al-Malikiyah, located at the tri-border region of Syria, Turkey, and Iraq. Turkish artillery also targeted SDF sites in the village of Umm al-Kaif, in the rural area of Tal Tamr, northwest of Hasakah.
Impact of the Attacks
Field sources reported to Sputnik that Turkish artillery shelling affected the villages of Al-Sayyada, Aoun Al-Dadat, Al-Tukhar, and Al-Daraj. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Thursday that the attacks resulted in the deaths of at least "27 members of military formations operating in SDF-controlled areas," three soldiers from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), and at least four civilians.
Turkey's Official Statement
The Ministry of National Defense in Turkey stated that 32 targets in Syria and Iraq were "destroyed" in the aerial offensive, but did not provide details on the specific locations that were hit. Officials assured that "all kinds of precautions" were taken to prevent civilian casualties.
Reason for the Attacks
These intense attacks were carried out hours after armed assailants detonated explosives and opened fire at the headquarters of the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) in Ankara. TUSAS designs, manufactures, and assembles civilian and military aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and other defense industry and space systems. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and Defense Minister Yasar Guler blamed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) for the attack. The Ankara attack resulted in at least five deaths and 22 injuries. Two attackers – a man and a woman – were also killed.
US and Turkey's Relationship with the PKK and SDF
Turkey regularly conducts airstrikes against the PKK in Iraq and the SDF in Syria. In 2014, the US military started partnering with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), an offshoot of the PKK. The YPG later changed its name to the SDF. Together, the US and its Kurdish allies occupy Syria’s northeast, including Hasakah, Raqqa, and parts of Deir Ezzor, denying Syria access to its oil resources and wheat-producing agricultural land.
International Response to the Attacks
The attack in Ankara occurred while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was attending the annual BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan. Erdogan, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, condemned the "hateful attack".
Bottom Line
The recent military actions by Turkey in Syria, targeting US allies, have further complicated the already complex situation in the region. The violent attack in Ankara, blamed on the PKK, has escalated tensions and led to a significant loss of life. As these events unfold, it raises questions about the future of the region and the role of international players in shaping it. What are your thoughts on these developments? Share this article with your friends and join the discussion. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6 pm.
