In retaliation for a bombing attempt in Ankara, Turkey’s defense ministry announced on Friday that it had launched a fresh round of airstrikes against Kurdish targets in Syria.
The announcement was made mere hours after Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke about the US shooting down a Turkish combat drone that was involved in the Syrian operation.
According to the Turkish defense ministry, 15 Kurdish locations in northern Syria were struck on Friday night “with the maximum amount” of ammo.
The “headquarters and shelters” of the Kurdish troops that the US has enlisted to combat the Islamic State organization in Syria were among the targets.
Fidan assured Blinken that Ankara’s airstrikes in Syria would proceed “with determination” despite the historic first drone incident between the crucial NATO partners on Thursday.
In retaliation for a blast in Ankara that left two policeman injured last Sunday, Turkey increased cross-border air operations against Kurdish sites in northeastern Syria and northern Iraq.
The first attack to target the Turkish capital since 2016 was carried out by a PKK faction, which Ankara and its Western allies have designated as a terrorist organization.
Turkey came to the conclusion that the two attackers who perished in the Ankara attack were Syrian.
The People’s Protection Units (YPG)-controlled oil and other energy infrastructure have been the main targets of Turkey’s intervention in Syria.
The group is a crucial component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which receives support from the US and serves as the de facto armed force for the Kurds in the region. In 2019, the SDF led the fight to drive out jihadists from the Islamic State group from the area.
Eight civilians were among the 15 verified fatalities in Turkey’s strikes during the first two days, the SDF reported on Friday.
Since the defeat of the jihadists, Ankara’s relations with Washington have been more strained due to US support for the YPG.
According to Washington, the Turkish drone was shot down by an F-16 jet when it approached US positions supporting the Kurdish fighters closely enough to be considered a security concern.
After the call with Fidan, Blinken “highlighted the need to coordinate and deconflict our activities,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
