File image.
Late on February 12, a Turkish combat drone targeted a vehicle in the northeastern Syrian town of Amuda, which is held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The vehicle was reportedly parked in the center of the town, next to an office of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), when it was struck. The YPG, which is designated by Turkey as a terrorist group, is the core faction of the SDF.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, several people were wounded as a result of the Turkish drone strike. At least one of the wounded is in a critical condition.
A few hours prior to the drone strike, five civilians, including children, were wounded near the Turkish-occupied town of Jarabulus in an attack that was attributed to the SDF. The civilians were allegedly targeted with two anti-tank guided missiles.
Turkish forces and the SDF have been exchanging attacks in northern and northeastern Syria for around two weeks now.
Just three days earlier, Turkish combat drones targeted two vehicles to the west of Amuda. One of the strikes killed a child and wounded three other civilians.
Turkey is apparently trying to provoke the SDF, likely to use any reaction by the group as a pretext to launch a new operation in northern and northeastern Syria. Last year, the Turkish military and it proxies made preparations for such an operation.
