Turkish warplanes hit Kurdish positions in northern Syria

QAMISHLO, Syrian Kurdistan (Kurdistan24) - Turkish fighter planes and attack helicopters pounded Kurdish positions in northeastern Syria near the border with Iraq late on Tuesday, reported the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).

The press office of the YPG said in a statement that three helicopters belonging to the Turkish army crossed into the Kurdish-control zone in northern Syria and struck several positions.

"Three helicopters of the Turkish army bombed the countryside of Jil Agha [Cil Axa in Kurdish] near Rabia" in proximity of the Iraqi border, the YPG stated.

In addition, several Turkish soldiers reportedly crossed Syria's northeastern border with Turkey near the Syrian Kurdish town of Tirbespi.

"One of the Turkish soldiers may have been killed in the clashes with our forces when they attempted to cross into Rojava twice," the YPG said.

The Turkish army could not be reached for a comment.

In previous similar incidents, the Turkish authorities admitted to shelling the Kurdish positions in Syria.

On October 26, 2015, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in a television interview that Ankara carried out two strikes on the YPG group as “a warning” to the Kurdish fighters against expanding their control into parts of Syria that Turkish officials hope will serve as a safe zone for returning refugees.

Turkey has repeatedly assaulted its southern borders with Syria since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

In another instance, on December 23, 2015, Turkish troops entered the villages of Sermisax and Banokiya, east of Qamishlo in Rojava, without clashing with the Syrian Kurdish security, known as Asayish in Kurdish.

Moreover, in February 2015, the Turkish army crossed the Syrian border in northern Aleppo to rescue about 40 soldiers who had been surrounded for months by the Islamic State militants.

Editing by Ava Homa