ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Wednesday rejected Turkey’s claims that over 40 of its fighters were killed in Turkish drone strikes in northern Syria, saying it was “far from the truth,” while a monitor also reported casualties among regime forces.
The Turkish defense ministry announced to have “neutralized” 41 members of the People’s Protection Unit (YPG) in Manbij and Tel Rifaat. Turkey uses the term “neutralized” to denote adversaries killed in combat.
The SDF rejected the claim by the Turkish ministry, claiming the number to be far lower. “Five of our fighters were martyred in these attacks. The number of our losses in the statement of the Ministry of Defense of the Turkish state is far from the truth," the SDF Office of Media and Information tweeted.
“We do not have any units in Til [Tel] Rifat. The results of the attacks in Manbij were announced to the public by the Manbij Military Council," it added.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that Turkish forces carried out an artillery attack on a farm in a village west of Manbij, injuring two children, and killing four members of the Manbij Military Council, a local Kurdish-led force affiliated with the SDF, in subsequent drone strikes.
Hawar News Agency (ANHA), an outlet affiliated to Kurdish administration in northeast Syria (Rojava), reported that Turkish forces have been bombarding the Tel Rifaat area, close to where military points of the Syrian regime are located, since Tuesday evening. According to the reports, at least nine Syrian soldiers were killed and 10 others were injured.
Turkey claims YPG is the Syria branch of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), which they consider a terrorist group. The YPG is the backbone of the SDF which rules over north and northeast Syria.
According to SOHR, the number of attacks carried out by Turkish drones in areas under the control of the SDF has increased to 20 so far this year, adding that they have caused around 25 fatalities, including children and women.
Damascus has deployed troops to Syrian borders with Turkey since 2019 when the Turkish invasion of some Kurdish towns in northern Syria led to an agreement between the Kurdish-led SDF and the Syrian army, allowing the latter to deploy forces to the bordering areas.
The relations between Ankara and Damascus deterred in 2012 after Turkey supported the anti-government protests. Turkey is the main supporter of the Syrian rebels and both have fought the regime and Kurdish forces in the last decade.
Turkey has recently sought reconciliation with the Syrian regime but President Bashar al-Assad has asked Ankara to withdraw all forces from his country as a pre-condition.
