Videos circulating on social media appear to show Turkish forces targeting Kurdish troops near Syria’s border with Iraq with airstrikes, just hours after the US announced it would be pulling out of the region.
Turkish forces launched airstrikes against Kurdish and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions in al-Hasakah province in northeastern Syria, according to SANA news agency, which initially reported there were no casualties from the attacks.
Turkish planes reportedly attacked SDF headquarters in Hasakah province, according to Saudi broadcaster al-Ikhbariya. Other reports suggest Turkey targeted the Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara views as a terrorist group and which is part of the SDF.
Turkey’s presence in northeast Syria is only “temporary,” and Ankara respects Syria’s “territorial integrity,” Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu said Monday in conversation with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif. Iran opposes military operations in Syria and called to respect its territorial integrity, Zarif responded.
RT