A Bayraktar Akıncı combat drone. Source: the Turkish Ministry of National Defense.
Early on July 22, a Turkish combat drone carried out two airstrikes on a position of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) located near the village of Zour Mughar in the northwestern countryside of Aleppo.
Zour Mughar is located to the west of the town of Kobane, a key stronghold of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
An unnamed military source told the North Press Agency that the two Turkish drone strikes resulted in some material losses only.
Turkey stepped up its drone operations this week. On July 20, two fighters of the SDF were killed when a Turkish combat drone targeted their vehicle in the outskirts of Kobane. Later on July 21, a Turkish drone strike targeted a vehicle of the SDF near a military training camp in the town of Qira in the northern al-Hasakah countryside. Several fighters of the group were wounded.
The Turkish military and its proxies are preparing for a new operation against the SDF in Syria’s northern and northeastern regions.
In order to support the SDF, the SAA deployed large reinforcements near key towns held by the group over the last few weeks. Heavy weapons, including battle tanks, howitzers and multiple rocket launchers, were deployed in the outskirts of Kobane.
Turkey is likely using its combat drone to intimidate both the SDF and the SAA. During a recent press conference, the SDF’s Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi said that his group has taken measures to counter Turkish drones. The commander was likely referring to the deployment of Russian, or Syrian air-defense systems in the northern and northeastern regions.
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