Turkey Retaliates for Istanbul Terror Attack... At Least 12 Killed in Airstrikes on Northern Syria and Iraq

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] Turkey launched airstrikes on several villages in northern Syria and northern Iraq on the 19th (local time), according to major foreign media.

This appears to be retaliation targeting Kurdish armed forces, who were identified as behind the Istanbul bombing on the 13th that resulted in 6 deaths and 80 injuries.

The Turkish Ministry of National Defense stated that the airstrikes were an exercise of the right to self-defense under the United Nations Charter.

According to foreign media, after the airstrikes began, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense posted photos of fighter jets with the phrase "The evil attacks of the villains are being punished." Turkish authorities have pointed to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Kurdish forces in Syria as behind this terrorist attack.

Media representing the Syrian Kurds reported that the targets of Turkey's airstrikes were strongholds of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Farhad Shami, spokesperson for the SDF, stated on social media that two villages with many refugees were bombed by Turkey, resulting in casualties and injuries.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), headquartered in the UK, announced that the airstrikes also hit Syrian government forces, with at least 12 deaths reported combining SDF and Syrian government forces.

They also said that Turkish military aircraft carried out about 25 airstrikes in Aleppo, Raqqa, and Hasakah.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.