ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish artillery shells targeted northern Syria’s Ain Issa district on Monday killing at least two, announced the Kurdish-led forces as Ankara renews threats of launching a military operation in the area.
The casualties were identified as Shiekh Mohammed, 25, and Buzan Awsi, whose age was not revealed, according to a statement published by media office of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The shelling, which hit the village of Hoshan in northwest Ain Issa, also resulted in severe injuries of at least two other citizens, aged 16 and 25, the statement added.
Ankara often targets areas in northern and northeast Syria (Rojava).
It launched its last military incursion in northern Syria in October 2019, which was followed by a deal between Turkey and Russia to drive Kurdish fighters 30 kilometers away from the Turkish-Syrian border.
However, Turkey has recently renewed threats to carry out a new military operation against the Kurdish-led SDF in northern Syria’s Manbij and Tal Rifaat towns in a bid to complete the 30 kilometer “safe zone” it began creating along its southern borders.
A Turkish drone last week targeted a military point of the SDF in the vicinity of Tal Tamir, northern Syria, leading to the injury of a fighter.
Ankara claims that the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF, is the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which is an armed group fighting for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. Ankara considers both the PKK and YPG as terrorist organizations and a threat to its national security.
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