Turkiye Ministry of Defense "Struck 471 Kurdish Force Targets"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Seoyul] The Turkish military reportedly conducted airstrikes on nearly 500 targets associated with Kurdish armed groups in Syria and other areas over three days, AFP reported on the 23rd (local time).

The Turkish Ministry of Defense stated that from the 20th until the previous day, they struck 471 targets related to Kurdish armed groups in northern Syria and northern Iraq, neutralizing 254 individuals.

On the 13th, following a bomb terror attack in Istanbul that resulted in 6 deaths and over 80 injuries, Turkey identified Kurdish armed groups as responsible and launched retaliatory airstrikes. The targets included strongholds of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD).

In response, airstrikes presumed to be retaliatory by Kurdish armed groups followed. On the 21st, several rockets, believed to be mortar shells, fell in Karkamı?, a border town in Gaziantep Province, Turkey, causing multiple casualties.

The Turkish military intensified its retaliatory airstrikes, conducting aerial attacks on the outskirts of Qamishli, a Syrian border area believed to be a Kurdish armed group stronghold, the previous day.

As the conflict between Turkey and Kurdish armed groups escalated, Russia called on Turkey to exercise restraint. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also issued a statement the previous day, saying, "Russia understands Turkey's security concerns but urges Turkey to refrain from actions that could further destabilize the situation."

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