A Bayraktar Akıncı combat drone. Source: the Turkish Ministry of National Defense.
On February 22, a Turkish combat drone targeted a vehicle in an area controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeastern governorate of al-Hasakah.
The vehicle, an SUV, was struck as it was moving on a road linking the towns of al-Qmaihsli and al-Qahtaniyah in the northern al-Hasakah countryside.
The SDF-linked Hawar News Agency didn’t report any casualties. However, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that a civilian was killed and a security commander of the SDF was wounded in the drone strike. The commander was not identified.
The Turkish military has attacked SDF positions and personnel with combat drones and loitering munitions on multiple occasions since the start of the year.
A drone strike that targeted a vehicle near the town of Kobane, a stronghold of the SDF, on February 12. A financial official of the so-called Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria was reportedly killed in the strike.
Last year, Turkey threatened the SDF with a new ground operation. Nevertheless, pressure from the United States, the main backer of the group, and Russia forced Ankara to limit its action against the Kurdish-led group to drone and artillery strikes.
Tensions between Turkey and the SDF will not likely fade away in the near future. Even the February 6 devastating earthquake was not enough to force the two sides to de-escalate.
