File image.
Turkey has resumed drone strikes on areas held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria’s northern region.
Late on July 20, a Turkish combat drone targeted a vehicle near the SDF’s military academy in the outskirts of the town of Kobane in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo. Later, the SDF acknowledged that the strike claimed the lives of two of its fighters.
On the afternoon of July 21, a second Turkish drone strike targeted a vehicle of the SDF near a training camp of the group in the town of Qira in the northern al-Hasakah countryside. Several SDF fighters were reportedly wounded as a result of the strike.
The drone strike come as the Turkish military and its proxies are preparing for a possible new operation against the SDF.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not abandoned his military plans against the SDF despite serious efforts by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who held a meeting with him to discuss the Syrian conflict in Tehran on July 19.
Speaking to reporters on his return flight from Tehran, Erdogan said a Turkish military operation against the SDF in Syria will remain on the agenda until its security concerns are addressed.
The drone strikes on Kobane and Qira confirms that Turkey is still committed to its military plans against the SDF. Ankara may be planning to escalate its drone operations against the SDF for now, and launch its ground offensive at a later time to avoid any backlash from Russia, Iran or even the US, the main backer of the group.
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