QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Allied forces of the US-led Global Coalition that run operations against Islamic State Organization (ISIS) in northeastern Syria were not spared from the Turkish shelling, which did not care about the coalition’s support to these forces, targeting their base.
On Tuesday, a Turkish drone targeted a main base of the US-led Global Coalition in Hasakah Governorate, northeast Syria, resulting in casualties.
A military source of the Coalition told North Press, “A drone targeted the headquarters of the Counter-Terrorism Units (YAT) of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).”
As a result, two fighters of the YAT Muhammad Khaled Abdo from Kobani and Montaser Bashir Omar from Sere Kaniye, lost their lives and three others were wounded, the source added.
The source believed this is a “dangerous” escalation at a time Washington is trying to preserve stability in the region.
Another source of the SDF told North Press that intensive meetings with the Global Coalition were under way over the recent incident.
Not the first
However, this attack is not the first of its kind, on July 22 a Turkish drone targeted a car with three SDF female fighters, including a commander, on the road in the eastern countryside of Qamishli, claiming the lives of all of them.
The targeting came hours after the Coalition praised the heroic role the SDF female fighters play in the war against ISIS.
Among the targeted female fighters was Salwa Youssef (aka Jiyan Afrin), commander in the SDF-affiliated Counter-Terrorism Units (YAT) the spearhead in joint operations between the SDF and the Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
The SDF, in a statement at the time, hold the Global Coalition responsible for “these brutal attacks on our regions.”
On Tuesday, The US urged Ankara to halt its operations, a US State Department spokesperson said Tuesday in an exclusive statement to North Press.
The spokesperson told North Press that the recent operations could undermine the campaign against ISIS and put civilians’ lives at risk.
Stances
On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged Ankara to “refrain from steps that could lead to a serious destabilization of the situation in general.”
Ahead of the start of Astana 19 on Syria, Russian presidential Special Envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, told reporters, “We will call on our Turkish colleagues to show certain restraint” and prevent “excessive use of force” through the “entire country [Syria].”
The Russian News Agency Tass cited Lavrentiev as saying, “We should try find some right solution, including on the so-called Kurdish issue.”
The Russian Presidential envoy claimed that Russia had used every possible mean to prevent Turkey from launching a military operation few months ago.
The Russian remarks came hours after the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to launch a potential ground offensive in Syria, following fatal airstrikes on several areas in north and northeast Syria.
The Turkish airstrikes claimed many civilian and military personnel’s lives.
As for France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it voiced concern over Turkish escalation in Syria, calling on Turkey to show self-control.
Despite all these international statements and calls, Turkey continues targeting areas in northeastern Syria.