Over 20 fighters of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed in Turkish airstrikes on a military training camp in Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah in early Monday, a war monitor reported.
The airstrikes targeted the camp of local security forces Assayish after midnight in the countryside of Hasakah, leaving also 50 fighters wounded, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.The UK-based watchdog group said the death toll will likely rise due to the number of critically wounded fighters.Following the airstrike, the Turkish air force intensified their aerial bombardment, hitting 30 areas controlled by the SDF, the Observatory added.It noted that the areas under the SDF control have been witnessing intense Turkish aerial and ground bombardment, leading to the destruction of infrastructure and the falling of fighters.The latest escalation follows threats issued by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who warned of an expanded cross-border operation in Syria and Iraq against Kurdish fighters after a suicide bomb rattled the Turkish capital Ankara, and injured two police officers, earlier this month.The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) claimed responsibility for the attack, marking the first time the group had claimed an attack in Ankara since 2016. Turkish intelligence officials suggested that the two assailants had received training in Syria.
