The US shot down an armed Turkish drone working close to its forces in Syria on Thursday, American officers mentioned, the primary time Washington has shot down a aircraft belonging to NATO ally Turkiye. Reuters reviews.
A Turkish Protection Ministry official mentioned the drone shot down by the US-led coalition didn’t belong to the Turkish armed forces, however didn’t say whose property it was.
Turkiye’s Nationwide Intelligence Service carried out assaults on Kurdish militant targets in Syria final weekend following a bomb assault in Ankara, a Turkish safety supply mentioned on Thursday.
Two U.S. officers, talking on situation of anonymity, mentioned an F-16 shot down the Turkish drone after america known as Turkish navy officers a number of instances to warn them that they had been working near U.S. floor forces. The officers mentioned the Turkish drone was possible armed.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a neighborhood safety supply mentioned the US-led coalition shot down a Turkish drone close to a base in northeastern Syria.
READ: 3 killed in assault on airport in Iraqi Kurdistan
The incident comes at a fragile time for US-Turkey relations, with america hoping Turkiye will ratify NATO membership for Sweden.
Though america has by no means shot down a Turkish aircraft earlier than, tensions have flared and there have been shut calls. In 2019, US forces in northern Syria got here beneath artillery fireplace from Turkish positions.
Turkiye strikes in Syria
US-allied Syrian Kurdish forces mentioned Turkish assaults had killed eight folks in an escalation triggered by the Ankara bombing by Kurdish militants.
US assist for Kurdish forces in northern Syria has lengthy triggered pressure with Turkiye, which views them as a wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Employees’ Get together (PKK). That group claimed accountability for Sunday’s assault in Ankara close to authorities buildings.
On Wednesday, Turkiye mentioned the 2 attackers had been from Syria. The bombing killed each attackers and injured two cops. The Syrian Democratic Forces, the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led pressure, denied that the bombers had crossed their territory.
On Thursday, a Turkish Protection Ministry official mentioned a floor operation in Syria was an possibility Turkiye might take into account. Turkiye has organized a number of earlier raids in northern Syria towards the Syrian Kurdish YPG group.
“Our solely objective is to eradicate the terrorist organizations that pose a menace to Turkiye. A floor operation is without doubt one of the choices to eradicate this menace, however it isn’t the one possibility for us,” the official mentioned.
Safety forces in northeastern Syria mentioned Turkiye launched a collection of assaults on Thursday by which greater than 15 drones entered the area’s airspace and hit targets together with infrastructure and fuel and oil stations. In a press release, safety forces mentioned Turkish assaults killed six members of the Inside Safety Forces in northeastern Syria and two civilians in two separate assaults.
Turkiye has doubled its operations towards the outlawed PKK by finishing up airstrikes in northern Iraq.
Turkish officers mentioned that each one infrastructure and vitality amenities in Iraq and Syria managed by the PKK, in addition to the Individuals’s Safety Models (YPG), are reputable navy targets.
“The PKK and the YPG are the identical terrorist group; they’re our reputable targets all over the place. Turkiye previously carried out operations the place and when essential, and these operations will resume if essential,” the Protection Ministry official mentioned.
“These operations are carried out beneath self-defense rights derived from worldwide legislation to eradicate terrorist assaults on Turkish territory and guarantee border safety,” the official added.
The YPG can also be the spearhead of the US-led coalition’s principal ally towards Daesh. Assist for the YPG by america and different allies, together with France, has strained ties with Turkiye. Turkiye has warned third-country troops to steer clear of amenities managed by the PKK and YPG.
“We name on all events, and specifically our pleasant and allied nations, to steer clear of these terrorists. That is only a reminder. It’s as much as them to take the mandatory precautions,” the official mentioned, with out naming any nation.
READ: At the least 60 killed in drone strike on Syrian navy academy
