Illustrative image.
On June 13, a series of Turkish strikes hit the Syrian town of Tell Rifaat and its outskirts in the northern countryside of Aleppo.
The town is controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Russian Military Police also maintain a fairly large presence near the town.
Turkish combat drones were spotted over Tell Rifaat during the strikes. The Rojava Media Center said that the drones carried out the strikes. Nevertheless, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that the drones were only correcting Turkish artillery fire.
-
- Click to see full-size image. Source: the Rojava Media Center.
-
- Click to see full-size image. Source: the Rojava Media Center.
-
- Click to see full-size image. Source: the Rojava Media Center.
-
- Click to see full-size image. Source: the Rojava Media Center.
-
- Click to see full-size image. Source: the Rojava Media Center.
-
- Click to see full-size image. Source: the Rojava Media Center.
The strikes were certainly a response for the June 12 rocket attack on the Turkish-occupied city of Afrin. The attack left 21 people, mostly civilians, dead and more than 23 others wounded. The rockets were fired from the surroundings of Tell Rifaat.
The Turkish Ministry of National Defense held the SDF responsible for the deadly attack. In its initial response to the attack, the Turkish military fired more than 180 rockets and shells on positions of the Kurdish-led group around Tell Rifaat.
The SDF denied responsibility for the attack despite having a track record of firing rockets at Afrin city. On February 17, 13 people, including six children and three women, were wounded when the group fired a barrage of rockets at Afrin. On May 2, a 5-year old girl was killed and her parents were wounded in another rocket attack on the city.
Many activists in the Syrian opposition capitalized on the SDF’s blatant denial to blame the SAA. Turkey, however, appears to be convinced that the deadly attack was carried out by the Kurdish-led group.