Illustrative image.
On August 18, a rocket attack targeted the Turkish-occupied Syrian city of Afrin in the northern countryside of Aleppo.
The rockets, which were reportedly fired from Kurdish-held areas to the south of Afrin, landed in the city’s residential neighborhoods causing some serious damage. A gas station was also hit. As a result, a large fire erupted.
According to the Western-backed White Helmets civil defense organization, three people, including a woman and a child, were killed and four others were wounded as a result of the rocket attack on Afrin city.
جانب من آثار القصف الصاروخي الذي تعرضت له مدينة عفرين شمال غربي حلب من المناطق التي تسيطر عليها قوات الأسد وقسد في محيط المنطقة، وأسفر القصف عن وقوع عدد من الضحايا بين المدنيين#قسد #قصف #عفرين #قوات_الأسد #ضحايا #مدنيين #ريف_حلب #سوريا #راديو_وطن pic.twitter.com/2WY0DU0m4B
— Watan Fm | إذاعة وطن (@WatanFmsy) August 18, 2021
#ريف_حلب
قصف راجمة يستهدف مدينة عفرين في ريف حلب. pic.twitter.com/Lad1qNwHSj— Adam Abdullah (@tommycats4) August 18, 2021
متى سيتم يتم الرد على قسد التي تستهدف المدنيين في عفرين وهل سيكون الرد مناسباً وهل سيسمح بذلك pic.twitter.com/I2qThnYnhi
— Radwan Abo mhmod (@RadwanAbomhmod1) August 18, 2021
There was no immediate claim for the rocket attack. However, many oppositions activists said Kurdish forces, namely the Syrian Democratic Forces, were behind the attack.
This was not the first rocket attack to target Afrin this year. On June 12, 22 people were killed and more than 20 others were wounded in Afrin city as a result of a rocket attack. On July 15, another attack hit the city, killing two civilians and wounding ten others. On July 25, a third attack wounded at least eight people.
The Turkish military and its proxies have reportedly responded to the new attack by shelling Kurdish-held areas to the south of Afrin. The situation could escalate further in the upcoming few hours.