Syrian Kurds call on UN, US, Russia to stop Turkish attacks

The international community "must act immediately and stop the Turkish aggression and prevent the Turkish state from threatening the peace and security of our region."

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) - Authorities of the de facto autonomous Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) on Thursday called upon the United Nations, United States and Russian Federation to stop Turkey from bombing Kurdish villages and military positions in northwest Syria.

In a public statement emailed to Kurdistan24, the General Authority of the Jazira, Kobani and Efrin Cantons of the Democratic Self-Administration of Rojava said Turkish warplanes were intensely bombing the villages of Um Al Housh, Um Al Qura, and Hasiya in Shahba area in northern Aleppo.

The statement invited the international community "to act immediately and stop the Turkish aggression and prevent the Turkish state from threatening the peace and security of our region with their continued violations of Syria's sovereignty and international laws and conventions."

Earlier on Thursday Turkish military sources claimed 18 airstrikes killed up to 200 Kurdish fighters in 26 positions.

No civilian or military Kurdish authorities have confirmed any casualties.

In February 2016 when Turkey was only able to shell Kurdish positions, as it could not fly warplanes over Syrian territory, Russia took the matter to the UN Security Council and demanded an immediate stop to Turkish shelling.

It is not clear how the Russians would react now as President Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have made up.

The Kurdish administration's statement said Turkey started bombing Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) positions on Wednesday "just hours after" they liberated the villages from the Islamic State east of Afrin.

At least five Kurdish villages came under at least 100 rounds of shelling.

The US which supports the YPG against the IS with advisors on the ground and warplanes in the skies has repeatedly called both sides to focus on the "common enemy," particularly last August as tensions flared up west of the River Euphrates where Turkey does not want Kurds to reach.

"We condemn this blatant attack perpetrated by the Turkish state against our people and threatens the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. We affirm that we will do whatever necessary to protect civilians and all other components in northern Syria," read the statement.

Kurdish authorities also accused Turkey of defending the IS and mentioned the bombings on the newly-liberated villages as "conclusive evidence."

 

Editing by Ava Homa