Turkiye bombs SDF positions Syria's in al-Hasakah: Source
2 Min Read
Turkish drones targeted Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions in the al-Shaddadi countryside of southern al-Hasakah, marking the first such strikes in the area.
-
A Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighter watches as hundreds of demonstrators march to demand the release of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, Saturday Feb. 15, 2025 (A)
Turkish drones carried out airstrikes on positions held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the al-Shaddadi countryside of southern Hasakah province on Wednesday evening, sources told Al Mayadeen.
The strikes, the first of their kind in this area, targeted locations more than 150 kilometers from the Turkish-Syrian border, the sources said.
Earlier, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the neutralization of seven fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and People’s Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria.
Last month, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned that Ankara would launch a cross-border offensive in northeast Syria against the YPG if the group failed to meet Turkey’s demands.
Turkiye warns to increase offensives against YPG
Turkiye warned of a potential cross-border offensive into northeastern Syria if the Kurdish YPG militia does not meet Ankara's demands, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Tuesday. He also called on Syria's new leadership to address the issue, emphasizing the importance of resolving the YPG's presence in the region.
Turkiye considers the YPG, a key component of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as a terrorist organization linked to the PKK, which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state for decades. Ankara has repeatedly urged its NATO ally, Washington, to cease support for the group and has conducted multiple military operations against the YPG in northern Syria, securing control over certain areas.
Following the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last month by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, among other organizations, some of which have Turkish backing, Ankara has issued specific demands: the disbandment of the YPG, the removal or repatriation of its non-Syrian and foreign fighters, and the surrender of its leadership.
