On August 14 in the morning, a suicide drone struck the house of a Turkish-affiliated commander in the town of Kafr Janah in the occupied area of Afrin in northern Syria.
The identity of the targeted commander was not revealed. However, local sources said he was a member of the Ahrar al-Sham Movement, a part of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). The commander survived the attack, which caused minimum material damage to the house.
The unidentified suicide drone was made of styrofoam and polymer. An electricity motor was used to propel the DIY drone.
Sources of the SNA denied that the drone had targeted a commander, saying a technical issue was behind the crash. The sources claimed that the drone was operated by Kurdish forces, which are present in southern Afrin.
Kurdish forces used quadrocopter drones armed with small projectiles in previous attacks on Turkish forces in Afrin. However, suicide drones have never been spotted in service with them.
The new drone attack indicates that Kurdish forces in southern Afrin are developing their offensive capabilities. This will pose a serious threat to the Turkish military and its proxies.
