Claimed image of damage by Turkish airstrikes on Kobani in northern Syria, November 20, 2022 (Hawar)


Turkish warplanes HAVE struck Kurdish and Assad regime positions in northern areas of Syria, reportedly killing civilians and regime troops early Sunday.

The Defense Ministry confirmed the attacks, saying the targets were the “terror groups” of the Turkish insurgency PKK and its Syrian affiliate YPG. It said the assault was in response to a November 13 bombing in Istanbul which killed six people, including two children, and wounded 81.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said, “Terrorists’ shelters, bunkers, caves, tunnels, and warehouses were successfully destroyed. We followed them closely. The so-called headquarters of the terrorist organization were also hit and destroyed.”

The US-suppported, Kurdish-led Syrian Defense Forces said the warplanes hit two villages with displaced people in northern Syria.

The Kurdish outlet Hawar said the Turks bombed the areas of Kobani, Shahba, Zarghan, and Derik. It claimed that 12 civilians, including one of its correspondents, were killed and that six civilians, including another journalists were wounded.

Hawar also declared that 14 Assad regime troops were killed and 12 wounded in a strike on one of their positions.

The Assad regime’s military said in a brief statement that “a number of army personnel were martyred in Turkish attacks” in Aleppo and Hasakah Provinces at dawn.

Akar maintained, “Only terrorists and hideouts belonging to them were targeted.”