Reports: SDF leader killed in Turkey's airstrikes on Rojava

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) continues drone strikes on regions under the control of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, commonly known as Rojava.

Hawar News Agency reported that the TSK targeted a house in the Azadî neighborhood of Dêrik, a town in the Qamişlo Canton, using a drone.

Preliminary information indicates that the attack resulted in the injury of an 11-year-old child named E. Ş. and a 39-year-old woman named Evîn Xelîl. Both injured individuals have been hospitalized for treatment.

"Senior SDF commander killed"

Meanwhile, North Press Agency (NPA) alleged that a high-ranking commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), without specifying the name, lost their life in the attack, and a woman and a child were also wounded.

NPA's Arabic Chief Editor, Hoşeng Hasan, claimed that the attack targeted the life of DSG commander Şiblî Dêrik.

As of now, there has been no official statement from the SDF or the Rojava administration regarding the attack and Dêrik's condition.

Operations against ISIS

According to sources from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the attack specifically targeted SDF commander Şiblî Dêrik.

Dêrik, known for frequently appearing with U.S. soldiers, is a senior SDF commander involved in coordinating operations against ISIS in collaboration with international coalition forces.

Notably, he survived an assassination attempt using a Turkish drone last year.

92nd attack on Rojava this year

Turkey launched a series of airstrikes on Rojava, the autonomous region of northeastern Syria, on October 5, 2023, which lasted for over a week. The attacks were a retaliation for a suicide bombing on October 1 in Ankara that wounded two police officers and was claimed by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Turkey considers the autnomous administration in Syria's north and east as an extension of the PKK.

The airstrikes have targeted civilian and military structures, including oil, gas, and power stations, causing one billion dollars of damage, according to the local authorities.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the number of drone attacks by Turkey on Rojava since the beginning of 2023 has reached 92. These attacks have resulted in the loss of 76 lives and left more than 84 individuals wounded.