At least one civilian has been killed and several others sustained injuries when Turkish military forces struck areas controlled by militants affiliated with the Kurdish-led and so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah.
Faraan: Local sources, who asked not to be named, told Syria’s official news agency SANA that Turkish artillery units shelled the village of al-Salmasa, which lies in the western Tell Tamer district of the province, on Tuesday.
The sources added that an internally displaced person from the village of al-Sibatiyah, which is occupied by Turkish-backed Takfiri militants, lost his life as a result. Later on, a Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle fired two missiles at al-Mahmakia and al-Hizam al-Gharbi neighborhoods of the predominantly Kurdish populated city of Qamishli, causing damage to residential buildings and public infrastructure.
Turkish troops then renewed shelling Qamishli. Two shells fell on Qanat al-Suweis neighborhood, injuring three children and as many women. Material damage was also reported in the nearby villages of Tal Ziwan,Tal al-Shu’eer and Secrca when artillery rounds hit the areas. The developments came a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted at his country’s plan for a new cross-border operation in neighboring Syria to remove members of the US-backed Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militant group, which is the backbone of the SDF.
“We will continue our fight against terrorism. Our decision to establish a 30-kilometer-deep (18.6-mile) secure line along our southern border is final,” Erdogan said in an address to Turkish diplomats attending the 13th Ambassadors Conference in the capital Ankara on Monday. Last month, Erdogan stated that a new Turkish operation against the YPG militants will remain on the agenda until security concerns are addressed.
