Turkish Airstrikes Hit SDF Headquarters, Multiple Targets in Northern Syria

Update (1812 EST): Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports at least six SDF fighters and six Syrian armed forces members killed in 25 Turkish airstrikes throughout northern Syria.

At approximately 1615 EST, multiple sources began reporting explosions near Kobani, Northern Syria. Those reports quickly began to expand along the Syrian, Turkish border, in settlements such as Ain Daqna, Tal Rifaat, and Maraanaz. By 1632 EST, a total of fourteen airstrikes has been reported over a 300km stretch of the border area. These strikes were reportedly carried out by a combination of Turkish F-16s and TB-2 Bayraktars.

The most significant strikes seem to have occurred at a power station in al-Malikiyah, which has caused rolling blackouts in the region as well as a Syrian Democratic Forces headquarters in Mount Karachok. Open-source intelligence analysts have commented that a Turkish TB-2 Bayraktar drone was airborne near the Syrian border in Northern Iraq at the time of the strikes.

 

The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed the strikes in an official post on their Twitter page. They said that “treacherous attacks” are “being held accountable”. This is possibly referring to the Istanbul bombing on November 13th which killed six people. Turkish authorities arrested a woman who they claim was shown in security camera footage planting the bomb, who has now claimed that she received orders from the PYD, Syria’s Democratic Union part to carry out the attack. Turkey considers the PYD to be the Syrian affiliate of the PKK, the Kurdistan Worker’s Party, which Turkey has been in a low-level war with for decades.

As of writing this post, the strikes are still ongoing, this will be updated.

 

Tessaron
Tessaron
United States Military Academy and American Military University Alumni. Victor covers flash military, intelligence, and geo-political updates.

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