Turkey’s airstrikes that began on Sunday against Kurdish-held territories in north and east Syria have targeted the vicinity of Al Hawl camp, which houses mostly Islamic State militants’ families and others affiliated with the jihadist group, Syrian Democratic Forces Commander in Chief Mazlum Abdi told reporters on Wednesday evening.
The attacks have reportedly allowed some ISIS-affiliated persons to escape.
“Our fighters ensuring security in the camp were targeted,” Abdi said.
Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) have continued their attacks “from Shehba to Manbij and Dirik”, Abdi told reporters. “Today’s attacks have targeted the region’s infrastructure in particular. That signifies a new phase in the attacks.”
Several civilians have lost their lives and important civilian infrastructure has been targeted, according to the Syrian Kurdish commander.
Since Sunday, the TAF has carried out 67 airstrikes, resulting in close to 4,000 explosions, he added.
Turkey has used the bombing in Istanbul on 13 November and an attack on a town in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, on its border with Syria, as “excuses to target our forces”, Abdi said, calling on Russia and United States to fulfil a “duty to end such attacks”.
“They target hospitals, oil fields. The Turkish state is an invading force. They have occupied our lands. We will always respond in kind,” Abdi said.
“It is not true that we have crossed the border or carried out attacks on their soil, like Turkey claims. None of their attacks will go unreciprocated, but all our retaliation will be on Syrian soil,” he concluded.
