SDF denies involvement in Istanbul attack

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi on Monday denied SDF involvement in the Istanbul attack.

"We affirm that our forces have nothing to do with the Istanbul bombing, and we reject the allegations accusing our forces of that," he tweeted.

"We express our sincere condolences to the families of victims and the Turkish people, and we wish a speedy recovery for the injured."

The Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported that Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu on early Monday blamed the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the People's Protection Units (YPG) and claimed the order was given in the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani.

“Our assessment is that the order for the deadly terror attack came from Ayn al-Arab  (Kobani) in northern Syria, where the PKK/YPG has its Syrian headquarters,” said Soylu.

“We will retaliate against those who are responsible for this heinous terror attack,” he added.

Moreover, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)-affiliated Headquarters Command of the People’s Defense Center on Monday also rejected involvement in the attack.

The PKK also offered "condolences to the relatives of the victims."

On Sunday, six people were killed in Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue and 81 were injured in the attack.

One Syrian female suspect Ahlam al-Bashir was arrested by the Turkish security forces.

The Turkish police claimed she entered Turkey through the Kurdish town of Afrin, which has been occupied by Turkish-backed Syrian rebel forces and the Turkish army since 2018.