As a Turkish drone killed two individuals in a civilian vehicle in the town of Kobanê in Rojava (North and East Syria) on Wednesday, the General Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said it was an outright violation of the current ceasefire agreements and a provocation.
Two were killed and three were wounded in a drone attack on 20 October near the town square of Kobanê as a parked civilian vehicle was targeted. The wounded, including a minor, were taken to hospital for treatment.
Mazloum Abdi, the top commander of the forces that defeated the Islamic State (IS/ISIS) in Syria, condemned the Turkish attack with a message on Twitter.
“The occupying Turkish state is violating all agreements at a time when Syrians want stability,” he wrote. “Targeting civilians in Kobanê is a provocation. The objective is the escalation of war in the region. I offer my condolences to the families of the martyrs and call upon the guarantor parties to take steps in accordance with their responsibilities.”
Mihemed Şahin: ‘Russia should have responded to the attacks targeting SDF’
Euphrates Region Autonomous Administration co-chair Mihemed Şahin, on the other hand, made a statement drawing attention to the date of the attack, saying that Turkey’s drone strike was indeed an act of revenge for the defeat of the Islamic State, as it was conducted on the anniversary of the latter’s defeat in Raqqa.
The SDF military campaign on Raqqa, the ‘capital’ of ISIS, was concluded on 17 October 2017 with the defeat of ISIS and the SDF’s full control of the city of Raqqa.
“The SDF has been respecting the ceasefire. Russia should have responded to the attacks targeting SDF, in accordance with its responsibilities,” Şahin said. “The forces of the International Coalition equally bear responsibility for these attacks. The threats against the SDF, an important ally in the struggle against the Islamic State, continue endangering the security of the region.”