A Bayraktar TB2 combat drone. Source: Baykar.
Late on August 3, a Turkish combat drone targeted a vehicle of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near the town of Haram Shikhu in the northern countryside of Syria’s al-Hasakah.
In a statement, the SDF acknowledged that one of its military commanders, Aram Mohamad Ibrahim, was killed in the Turkish drone strike along with three of its fighters. Two other fighters were also wounded in the strike, according to the group.
This was the fourth Turkish drone strike to target the SDF in recent weeks. On July 27, a drone strike destroyed two vehicles of the group between the towns of Khaznah and Tell Marouf in the northeastern countryside of al-Hasakah, killing three fighters and wounding two others.
The next day, July 28, a strike targeted a training camp of the group near the town of Khirbat Khwi in the northern countryside of al-Hasakah. Four fighters were killed and eight others were wounded. Another strike hit the center of the SDF-held town of Tell Rifaat in the northern Aleppo countryside on July 30. However, there were no losses.
The SDF will likely attempt to respond to the last strike. This could lead to more escalation by the Turkish military and its proxies.
Turkey’s recent drone strikes appear to be an attempt to deter the SDF without launching a new group operation that could lead to a conflict with the main backer of the group, the United States, as well as Russia.
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