SDF announces deaths of three fighters in Turkish drone strike in Kobani

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) group blamed Turkey on Sunday for a drone strike that killed three of its fighters in the Kobani region in northern Syria on Saturday morning.

“On Saturday morning (October 23, 221), three of our fighters went to Kobane for treatment, coming from Serrin town,” the SDF announced in its statement released on Sunday.

“On their way back, they were attacked by a Turkish occupation drone (SIHA) at 5:40 p.m. resulting in the martyrdom of our fighters, Hozan Qamishlo, Galli Halap, and Amed Afrin.”

The statement did not give any further details.

Local media first reported the strikes against a car by a Turkish drone on Saturday.

The strike was the second of its kind in a mere three days. On Wednesday, another drone strike targeted a car in Kobani, killing two people and injuring another four.

Read More: Second alleged Turkish drone attack in 3 days strikes car in northern Syria’s Kobani

The strikes come as the Turkish military has intensified its cross-border targeting of SDF forces across northern Syria, using air and drone strikes and artillery bombardments.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will destroy all “threats” in northern Syria after a guided missile killed two Turkish military police officers in the Syrian town of Azaz in the northwest.

Turkey has been threatening to launch another large-scale offensive against the SDF. That would be the third such operation to target the group and occupy territories under its control.

Ankara’s next target, if it does launch a third operation, is widely believed to be the northwestern Syrian town of Tel Rifaat. Tel Rifaat is located to the east of the Turkish-occupied Syrian Kurdish enclave of Afrin and is presently home to tens of thousands of Kurds from Afrin who were displaced by Turkey's 2018 invasion of that region.