ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Turkish drone on Monday targeted a vehicle in Qamishli city, northeast Syria (Rojava), injuring two members of security forces, reported a war monitor. Kurdish forces later said that one person was killed and three injured in the attack.
The incident took place in Segirka area, northeast of Qamishli city. “A female and male military personnel were seriously injured,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported without elaborating which force they were affiliated to.
The UK-based monitor said that the attack was carried out by a Turkish drone. The Kurdish internal security forces (Asayish) later issued a statement saying that the drone attack was carried out by Turkey, killing a "civilian" and injuring three others.
Hawar News Agency (ANHA), a media outlet affiliated to Kurdish authorities, said at least one person was injured in the incident.
Turkey regularly targets the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), claiming that the group is the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The PKK is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. It is regarded as a terrorist organization by Ankara.
According to the latest figures by the Rojava Information Center, 39 drone attacks have taken place in Rojava in the last five months, 11 targeting vehicles.
A car has been targeted in the village of Segirka, on the outskirts of Qamishlo. Initial reports suggest it was attacked by a drone. This would be the 39th drone attack on NES in 5 months, & the 11th targeting a vehicle. No information is yet available on casualties. pic.twitter.com/QMzlVGDa30
— Rojava Information Center (@RojavaIC) May 30, 2022
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that his country’s army and intelligence are making preparations to launch new military operations along its southern border to complete the 30 kilometers deep “safe zone” it planned years ago, most likely aimed at Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.
Turkey’s National Security Council (MKG) stated on May 26 that, “under no circumstances the operations currently conducted and to be done to clean our southern borders from the treat of terror” breach the sovereignty of its neighbors.
“It is underlined that these operations will contribute seriously to the peace and safety of our neighbors,” the statement continued.
Updated at 10:15 pm with Asayish statement
