Escalation between Turkish forces and the Kurdish-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continues in Syria’s northern and northeastern regions.
On February 3, SDF fighters targeted a vehicle of the Turkish military that was moving along the border with the Syrian town of al-Darbasiyah, which is located in the northern al-Hasakah countryside. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) claimed that the attack resulted in casualties, without providing any addition details.
In an apparent response to the attack, a Turkish combat drone targeted a van that was carrying three fighters of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), one of the main factions of the SDF, near al-Darbasiyah. According to the SOHR, one of the YPJ fighters was killed while the other two were wounded along with the driver.
#سوريا | استهدفت طائرة مسيرة تركية سيارة قرب مدينة الدرباسية بمحافظة الحسكة شمال سوريا، ووفق المصادر المحلية أصيب جميع ركاب السيارة بجروح خطيرة دون تفاصيل إضافية. pic.twitter.com/a24wzgYVtL
— غرب آسيا (@WestAsia21) February 3, 2022
The current escalation in northern and northeastern Syria began on February 1, when several Turkish airstrikes targeted al-Malikiyah electrical substation in the northern countryside of al-Hasakah, killing four personnel of the SDF.
On February 2, a rocket strike attributed to the SDF killed nine people in the Turkish-occupied town of al-Bab in the northern Aleppo countryside. On the same day, the SDF shelled a Turkish border post, killing a Turkish service member. A Turkish combat drone also targeted a position of the SDF near the village of Qasr Muza in the northern Raqqa countryside.
It’s worth mentioning that between February 1 and 3, the Turkish military and its proxies shelled dozens of SDF-held towns and villages and towns in northern and northeastern Syria. Two posts of the Syrian Arab Army, located in the northeastern Aleppo countryside and the northern countryside of al-Hasakah, were also targeted. Three soldiers were reportedly wounded.
The escalation between Turkish forces and the SDF in northern and northeastern Syria could develop into a full-on military confrontation. This may be the main goal of Ankara.