Published: Less than 20 min ago
Almost 500 targets have been hit in Kurdish areas in Syria and Iraq, Turkey says after the air offensive of the last few days. But the Kurdish force SDF says it is ready if Turkey attacks with ground forces as well.
– So far, 471 targets have been hit and 254 terrorists neutralized, says Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, according to the Anatolia news agency.
The attacks with aircraft, robots and drones within “Operation Swordclaw” have been going on in northern Syria and Iraq since Sunday. The offensive comes after a bloody terrorist bombing in Istanbul on November 13, which the Turkish regime blames on Kurdish insurgent movements.
Turkey is also threatening a ground offensive. But SDF commander Mazloum Abdi says he is not afraid.
– We believe we have reached a level where we can beat back any possible attacks, he tells the AP news agency.
According to him, Turkey risks angering many parties in the fragile balance of power.
– If Turkey attacks a region, the war spreads to all regions. It will affect everyone.
After many years of war, first in Iraq and then also in Syria, the area is a hodgepodge of alliances and fronts. Russia has moved in with large military resources to save Syria’s dictatorial regime from collapse. At the same time, the US supports Kurdish militias in the fight against IS and other extremist Islamists, which means that NATO colleagues the US and Turkey are partly on opposite sides of the war.