A Turkish drone bombing of a joint base of Kurdish forces and the international anti-jihadist coalition in northeastern Syria endangered American soldiers, the joint command of the US armed forces responsible for the Middle East, CENTCOM ("Central Command"), said today.
The Turkish military has been launching airstrikes against Kurdish fighters in Syria since Sunday.
Yesterday Tuesday, a Turkish drone bombed a joint base of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF, dominated by Kurdish fighters) and the US-led international coalition, killing two Kurdish fighters.
CENTCOM had initially claimed that its forces were "not at risk" from this raid, specifying that "the closest strikes were at least 20 to 30 km" from the area where US soldiers were located.
However, in an email sent to Agence France-Presse today, CENTCOM stressed that it had "received additional information that its forces and personnel were at risk."
Backed by the US-led international coalition, the SDF spearheaded the war against the Islamic State (IS), which was driven out of its strongholds in Syria in 2019.
Hundreds of troops from the international coalition, including Americans, continue to deploy to Kurdish-controlled areas in northern Syria, a country fragmented by the war that has raged since 2011.
Turkey claims it is carrying out the raids in retaliation for the deadly November 13 attack in Istanbul, which Ankara blames on Kurdish YPG and PKK fighters who deny any involvement.
Turkey describes as "terrorist" the YPG (People's Protection Units) militia, which it considers an extension of the Kurdish rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party of Kurdistan (PKK).
The US has voiced its opposition to "any military action that destabilizes the situation in Syria," according to statements by Joe Buccino, a CENTCOM spokesman.
Source: APE-MPA
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
