Turkish airstrikes target hospitals in Syria, allied militants abduct medical team

The Turkish military and allied Syrian armed groups it backs have been targeting hospitals, medical clinics, and ambulances since the beginning of their assault on northern Syria, and on Sunday abducted an emergency medical rescue team, according to a local Kurdish health organization.

QAMISHLI, Syria (Kurdistan 24) – The Turkish military and allied Syrian armed groups it backs have been targeting hospitals, medical clinics, and ambulances since the beginning of their assault on northern Syria, and on Sunday abducted an emergency medical rescue team, according to a local Kurdish health organization.

“This morning, two ambulances that were heading to Tal Abyad to rescue the wounded were kidnapped with the team,” Kurdish Red Crescent (KRC) said in a statement.  

“We do not yet know the fate of the four[-member] crew,” it continued. “And Due to the attack near Ain Issa camp, IDPs, including a large [number] of ISIS families, left.”

On Saturday, KRC said that the hospitals in both border towns of Ras Alain and Tal Abyad have been shut down as a result of Turkish airstrikes and artillery shelling.

The organization also reported that one of its medical clinics south of Ras Alain was hit by a Turkish airstrike, wounding several wounded and killing an unspecified number of medical staff.

Turkish-led rebels also abducted a vehicle belonging to the Kurdish Health Authority and executed medical workers on the spot, local sources said on Sunday.

The sources explained that the vehicle was heading from Qamishli to Ain Issa to deliver medicine to local health facilities, but on the M4 Highway, a patrol of Turkish-led militias abducted them and killed them immediately.

At approximately 8 a.m. on Sunday, Turkish warplanes resumed air raids against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Gire Spi (Tel Abyad) and Serekaniye (Ras al-Ain) areas of northeastern Syria.

So far, more than 200,000 people have been displaced from towns along the border with Turkey, according to KRC. 

Editing by John J. Catherine