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Syria
Kurdish officials and their driver who were killed in a suspected Turkish attack in Hasaka on June 20, 2023. Photo: ANHA
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish administration in northeast Syria on Tuesday announced the death of a senior local official, her deputy and their driver in a Turkish drone attack in Hasaka province.
A suspected Turkish drone on Tuesday targeted a vehicle in Hasaka province, with initial reports talking about the death of four unnamed members of the Kurdish administration.
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES), also known as Rojava administration, said in a statement that the Turkish drone killed Yousra Darwesh, co-chair of the Qamishli local council, her deputy Lyman Shweish, and their driver Firat Toma, adding that Kabi Shamoon, the other co-chair of the council, was also injured in the attack.
NES called on the international community “to break its silence regarding the fascist attacks on our people” and prevent such attacks against Rojava.
Darwesh had a degree in French language and literature and was an advocate of societal changes in the region, according to local media. Toma was a Christian. Little is known about other victims as of now.
Turkey has yet to confirm its involvement in the deadly attack. Ankara often refrains from commenting on its attacks in which civilians are killed. The Turkish army has repeatedly said that it does not target civilians but only those it calls “terrorists.”
Ankara considers the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) - an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey.
Farhad Shami, the head of SDF’s media centre, said in a tweet that the three people killed in Tuesday’s attack were “dedicated peacebuilders,” adding that “Turkish terrorism displays no regard for ethnic or religious differences, as the martyrs were courageous Kurds & Christians who were living together harmoniously and resolutely combating terrorism.”
Sinam Mohamad, Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) representative to the United States, said in a tweet that “The violations of human rights are going on with deep silence,” calling on the international community to “stop Turkey from threatening the stability and security of our region.”
SDC is the political wing of the SDF.
The Turkey-based pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) condemned the death of the Rojava officials, calling for an end to these “assassinations.”
Recently. There has been a surge in Turkish attacks on Rojava, leading to the death of local officials, fighters and civilians.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that Tuesday’s strike was Ankara’s 26th attack on areas under the control of the Rojava administration since the start of the year, in which at least 39 people have been killed.
Turkey has conducted three offensives against the Kurdish forces in Rojava since 2016.
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