Suspected Turkish drones kill 4, injure 11 in NE Syria

Karwan Faidhi Dri

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said that multiple Turkish drone attacks in northeast Syria (Rojava) killed four of their members and injured 11 civilians on Friday. 

The multi-ethnic SDF said in a statement that Turkish drones carried out eight attacks on Hasaka and Qamishli cities, targeting their military base as well as civilian vehicles and houses.

“The Turkish occupation aggression resulted in four of our fighters being promoted to the rank of martyrdom and the wounding of 11 civilians,” read the statement. 

Ankara has not yet commented on the drone attacks.

The attacks came one day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signalled a fresh offensive in Rojava if Kurdish authorities go ahead with local elections scheduled for June 11.

Erdogan said on Thursday that Ankara is “closely following the aggressive actions by the terrorist organization against the territorial integrity of our country and of Syria under the pretext of an election,” according to The Associated Press. 

“Turkey will never allow the separatist organization to establish (a terror state) just beyond its southern borders in the north of Syria and Iraq,” he added. 

The Rojava government has responded to Turkey’s concerns and denied that the elections pose a threat.

"These elections do not target any political party, whether internally or externally, its primary goal is to achieve good service for the citizens of NE Syria. Therefore, these elections will enhance stability and peaceful coexistence in the region, and will also play a positive role in developing the comprehensive Syrian solution,” the executive council of the Rojava administration said in a statement on Wednesday. 

Washington has urged the Syrian Kurds not to proceed with the local polls at this time, citing a lack of fair and free conditions. 

Turkey has carried out several major military campaigns against Rojava, claiming that the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF, is the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).