Turkish strikes destabilize northeast Syria: USCIRF Chair
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Ongoing Turkish strikes are destabilizing northeast Syria, warned US Commission on International Religious Freedom (UCIRF) chair Nadine Maenza on Monday.
Maenza arrived in northeast Syria after a Turkish strike killed one and injured 11. Among the wounded was a 4-year-old boy who lost his leg.
The strike came after an IED (improvised explosive device) attack killed three Turkish soldiers on the Syrian border.
Read More: Civilian killed in suspected Turkish bombing of town in northern Syria
"(The) US & Global Coalition countries should pressure Turkey to stop," Maenza said in a video shared on her Twitter page.
Just hours after arriving in NE #Syria, #Turkey conducted drone strike on civilians in #Kobani killing 1, injuring 11, including 4 yr old boy who lost his leg.
— Nadine Maenza (@nadinemaenza) January 9, 2022
Drone attacks on civilians is destabilizing NE Syria. US & Global Coalition countries should pressure Turkey to stop. pic.twitter.com/Vu9Etfpy3z
In her video, she disputed Turkey's claim that it is targeting terrorists with these strikes.
"Clearly, that's not the case," she said. "These drone strikes on northeast Syria targeting civilians is causing the stabilization."
"It is important for the US and the global community to stand up against these strikes and to push Turkey to stop."
After Turkey conducted a cross-border attack into northeastern Syria in October 2019, Russia and the US reached separate ceasefire deals with Ankara, allowing Turkish troops to control the area between Tal Abyad and Serekaniye Turkey and its Syrian paramilitary proxies captured from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Despite such agreements, Turkish-backed groups and the Turkish army continuously target SDF-held areas with artillery bombardments and shelling.
In some cases, villagers living in Syrian-Turkish border areas are killed in these attacks.