File image.
More Turkish drone strikes have targeted the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) areas of influence in Syria’s northeastern region.
On August 15, a drone strike targeted a vehicle near the town of Tell Tamer in the northwestern countryside of al-Hasakah. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the strike resulted in casualties but didn’t provide any details.
A second strike targeted a position of the SDF in the village of Taweila, which is located near Tell Tamer, on August 17. However, no losses were reported.
Turkey escalated its drone strikes against the SDF in recent weeks. On August 3, a commander and three fighters of the group were killed when a combat drone targeted their vehicle near the town of Haram Shikhu in the northern al-Hasakah countryside.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense claimed in a statement released on August 17 that it had neutralized 777 personnel of the SDF and its affiliate since the start of the year. These claims were however denied by the SDF’s Media and Information office.
The recent escalation by Tukey appears to be an attempt to deter the SDF without launching a new ground operation in northeastern Syria that could provoke the main backer of the group, the United States, and anger Russia.