A Bayraktar TB2 combat drone. Source: Baykar.
On September 2, a Turkish combat drone targeted a vehicle of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on a road near the town of al-Qamishli in the northern countryside of Syria’s al-Hasakah.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition monitoring group, said that the strike killed a member of the SDF and wounded another.
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- Click to see full-size image. Source: Ronahi TV.
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- Click to see full-size image. Source: Ronahi TV.
The strike came amid a conflict between the SDF and Arab tribes in Deir Ezzor. The conflict broke out on August 27 when the SDF arrested the leader of the so-called Deir Ezzor Military Council after accusing him of serious crimes and violations.
Tribal fighters backed by Turkey launched an attack against the SDF-held town of Manbij in the northern Aleppo countryside a day earlier under the pretext of supporting their relatives in Deir Ezzor. Another attack was carried out hours before the drone strike.
Turkey stepped up its drone strikes against the SDF before the outbreak of the conflict in Deir Ezzor. However, the last strike may have been carried out to support Arab tribes against the group, especially that it came after calls for an armed uprising in al-Hasakah.
It is possible that Turkey will take advantage of the ongoing conflict in Deir Ezzor not only to mount pressure on the SDF, but also to further expand its influence in northern and eastern Syria.
good 1 . next one on the way