Alleged Turkish drone attack in northeast Syria injures Russian soldier

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Internal Security Forces (ISF) in northeast Syria, also known as Asayish, on Thursday evening blamed Turkey for targeting an outpost manned by Russian forces using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the border town of Derbasiyah.

“The Turkish occupation army continues its indiscriminate shelling of the cities and towns of northern Syria, as a drone of the occupation army targeted a military post of the Russian forces today, Thursday, July 16,” the Asayish said in a statement.

“The point that was bombed by the Turkish fascist army is a strategic focal point, 1 km south of the town of ad-Derbasiyah, on the road leading to the city of al-Hasakah,” it continued. “The targeting resulted in the injury of a Russian soldier and three civilians, while investigations are ongoing to find out the reasons for targeting a point taken by the Russian forces.” 

According to the local Northpress agency, the Russian delegation was targeted after visiting an Asayish center south of Derbasiya at 5:00 p.m. to enquire about the cause of a stun grenade explosion in the same general vicinity early on Thursday.

“This morning, Turkey struck an Asayish point with a UAV, causing material damage,” a security source told the Syrian-based Rojava Information Centre. “A patrol of Russians and Asayish went to visit the site of this morning’s explosion. As they arrived, a Turkish UAV blew itself up among them.”

“It’s not that the drone struck with a missile, but that [a small] UAV blew itself up. Two members of the Asayish, three Russians and some regime soldiers were wounded, but only very lightly.”

Neither the Russian government nor the Russian Reconciliation Centre has confirmed or denied the attack.

The incident has led to speculation that it was a response to the Russian army’s bombing the Turkish-held city of al-Bab on Wednesday.

It’s not the first time that Russian troops have been targeted in Derbasiyah.

In late October 2019, the Russian military was allegedly shelled by Turkish artillery at the border crossing as they were preparing to meet with the Turkish army.

At the time, however, the Russian Defense Ministry said an explosive device went off near one of the Russian Military Police’s armored vehicles and denied artillery as involved.

After Turkey intervened in northeastern Syria in October, Russia and the US reached separate ceasefire deals with Ankara that allowed Turkish troops to control the area between Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain (Serikaniye). 

Moreover, a few days after Turkey’s assault, the Syrian Kurds reached another deal with Damascus, brokered by Russia, that resulted in the entry of Russian and Syrian forces into northern Syria.

Despite the agreements, Turkish-backed groups and the Turkish army itself continue to periodically target areas held by the SDF. In some cases, villagers living in Syrian-Turkish border areas were killed in attacks by the Turkish army and the rebel forces Ankara supports.

In late June, three Kurdish women’s rights activists were killed in another alleged Turkish drone strike in the city of Kobani. Two weeks later, Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi and the top Russian military official in Syria met in an undisclosed location to discuss the deaths. 

Read More: Syrian Kurds meet with Russian general about killing of female activists by Turkey 

“We received today the of Commander of the Russian forces in Syria, Major General Alexander Chaiko to discuss common issues among them the violations of Turkey of the 23rd October agreement, in particular the assassination of three Kurdish female activists in Kobani,” Abdi wrote on social media. 

Editing by John J. Catherine