Drone strikes by Turkey reportedly kill Syrian soldiers in northern Aleppo

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Tensions are rising in the northern countryside of Aleppo, where the military forces of Turkey, Russia, and Syria, as well as the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG), have established contact lines.

According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a Turkish military drone targeted a Syrian army base in the city of Tal Rifaat, where Syria, Russia, and the YPG all have a military presence.

At least five soldiers lost their lives in the attack, while six others were injured, the observatory reported.

The Damascus government has yet to release a statement regarding the matter.

In related news, a pro-Syrian army Twitter account, Idlib Online, identified three of the five soldiers who were reportedly killed in the strike.

Additionally, Turkey's National Defense Ministry shared footage on their Twitter account showing points in Tal Rifaat and Manbij regions that were struck by UAVs. It said the strikes targeted the YPG.

Üs bölgelerimize saldıran terör örgütü PKK/YPG’den hesap sormaya devam ediyoruz. Kahraman Türk Silahlı Kuvvetlerimiz, Tel Rıfat ve Münbiç bölgelerinde tespit edilen terör yuvalarını vurarak 41 teröristi daha etkisiz hâle getirdi. Teröristleri kazdıkları çukurlara gömmeyi… pic.twitter.com/r7pNtLvdc1

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) June 14, 2023

What happened?

The Defense Ministry announced that on June 11, an attack was carried out on the Jebrin base area belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in the "Operation Euphrates Shield" region in northern Syria, as well as the Öncüpınar border crossing. Subsequently, the TSK initiated ground and air bombardment on Tal Rifaat and Manbij.

On June 12, a Russian military armored vehicle was hit by a shell on the Um al-Hawsh-Harbel road in the northern rural area of Aleppo.

According to sources close to Syrian armed groups, one Russian soldier reportedly lost their life, and four soldiers were injured in the incident, which occurred as a result of a TSK bombardment.

The SOHR reported that following this attack, the Russian military sent military reinforcements to their bases in the northern rural area of Aleppo.

The TSK occasionally targets the Tal Rifaat region due to the presence of the YPG, which it considers a "terror group."

Turkey conducted four major ground operations in Syria between 2016 and 2019 and, in alliance with armed groups, currently controls various regions in the country's north and northwest. Furthermore, it maintains a military presence and observation points in Idlib, which is known as a stronghold for jihadist groups.

(VC/VK)