Turkish Strikes Kill 27 Civilians in Syria Amid Escalation

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Turkish forces have dramatically intensified their aerial and ground assaults in northern and eastern Syria since Thursday. The monitor documented 45 drone strikes and four by fighter jets, which targeted vital infrastructure, including water, power, and gas stations.

Turkey's military response began with airstrikes on Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria on Wednesday, after an attack attributed to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) left five people dead at the defense company near the Turkish capital. The government indicated that the PKK was "very likely" responsible for the assault, which also resulted in 22 injuries.

Following the attack, the Turkish defense ministry announced that an operation against "terrorist targets" in northern Iraq and Syria had been executed, successfully destroying 32 identified targets.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported on Thursday that Turkish airstrikes resulted in the deaths of 12 civilians in northeastern Syria and wounded at least 25 more. They stated that Turkish warplanes and drones targeted not only populated areas but also essential facilities such as bakeries, power stations, and oil infrastructure, in addition to checkpoints operated by Kurdish security forces.

The SDF played a crucial role in the campaign to defeat the Islamic State group in Syria, reclaiming territory from the jihadists in 2019. Turkey views the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), a key component of the SDF, as an extension of the PKK, leading to ongoing tensions.

Turkish troops, along with allied rebel factions, have maintained control over significant areas of northern Syria following a series of cross-border operations initiated in 2016, primarily aimed at dismantling the SDF's influence.