Turkey claims to have killed YPG fighter in cross-border clashes

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkish and Kurdish forces in northern Syria exchanged fire across the border, with the Turkish military claiming to have killed one Kurdish soldier. 

The Turkish army returned fire from the Kurdish side at a border post in the Nusaybin area on Monday, Hurriyet Daily News reported, citing a military statement published on Tuesday that claimed to have killed one Kurdish fighter.

The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) reported that Turkish forces carried out several “violent” attacks across the border over the past several days, detailing two incidents that took place on Monday.

The YPG said they fired warning shots at Turkish forces who attempted to cross the border into Rojava, northern Syria near Elok village. “The Turkish army responded and clashes began,” reads a press statement issued by the YPG. “In these clashes Turkish military vehicles were damaged.”

Near Amude, the Turkish army also “violated” Rojava territory on Monday, the YPG stated. 

The YPG did not confirm any casualties in the clashes. 

Turkey considers the YPG and the political party Democratic Union Party (PYD) to be offshoots of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and, therefore, terrorists. Turkey has been constructing a wall along its border with the self-autonomous Kurdish state in northern Syria.