Turkey's drone warfare in Syria: 5 killed in strike amid campaign targeting Kurdish forces

A Turkish drone strike killed five civilians in northeastern Syria on Saturday (December 21), according to a war monitor, marking the latest in a series of deadly incidents amid escalating tensions in the region.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that two of the victims, including a woman and a political party member, succumbed to their injuries, adding to three earlier deaths in the same attack. The strike targeted a car travelling between Al-Hawl and Tal Brak in Hasakeh province, the Kurdish Hawar news agency said.

“This crime is one of a series of flagrant violations of international law and human rights which forbid the targeting of civilians,” the Kurdish Internal Security Force said in a statement.

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Separately, Turkish drones struck wheat silos southwest of Kobane, destroying significant stockpiles, according to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led force in the region. The SDF has been a key US ally in the fight against ISIS and serves as the de facto Kurdish army in northeastern Syria.

Backdrop: Violence after Assad’s fall

The violence comes after the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, which saw Turkey increasing its support for armed groups opposing Kurdish forces in northern Syria. Ankara views the SDF as a terrorist organisation due to its links with the YPG, a Kurdish group Turkey claims is tied to PKK militants waging a long-running insurgency within Turkey.

Turkey backs Syria’s new Islamist-led rulers, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and hopes they will act against Kurdish fighters. Ankara has vowed to continue military operations until Kurdish forces “disarm,” citing border security concerns.

On Thursday (December 19), two Kurdish journalists were killed in a Turkish drone strike near the Tishrin Dam, south of Kobane, while covering clashes between Ankara-backed forces and the SDF. The Observatory also reported 14 pro-Turkey fighters killed in fighting near the dam on Saturday.

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Tensions are rising over the strategic Kurdish-held town of Kobane, with fears of a Turkish assault growing after Ankara-backed forces captured Manbij and Tal Rifaat, two other key towns.

The Turkish military maintains it targets only terrorist groups and denies accusations of striking civilians.

With inputs from agencies