SDF confirms presence of SDF leader Mazloum Abdi during Sulaimani attack
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Farhad Shami, the head of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) media center, on Saturday confirmed that SDF Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi was present during the Turkish drone attack on Sulaimani Airport yesterday.
Update on the attack on Sulaymaniyah airport
— Farhad Shami (@farhad_shami) April 8, 2023
As part of our emergency security response related to the safety of our forces' command, we deliberately restricted the release of information about the Turkish attack on Sulaymaniyah airport, where our Commander-in-Chief, Mazloum…
Earlier the SDF denied his presence during the attack.
“As part of our emergency security response related to the safety of our command forces, we deliberately restricted the release of information about the Turkish attack on Sulaimani airport, where our Commander-in-Chief, Mazloum Abdi, was present,” Shami said in a new statement.
“This was done to ensure his safety until he arrived unharmed to secured areas of north eastern Syria. We will provide further details about the attack at a later time.”
On Friday, the SDF Media Centre denied news reports that SDF top commander Abdi was in Sulaimani, suggesting it was ‘fake news’, with the aim to politically blackmail some forces in the Kurdistan Region.
But the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that US officials confirmed that SDF Commander-in-Chief Abdi was in Sulaimani, and that three US military personnel were in the convoy with Gen. Mazloum Abdi.
The Kurdistan Region presidency on Saturday condemned the “incident” that took place on Friday in the vicinity of Sulaimani International Airport, calling on the political parties to exercise restraint.