Civilian Casualties in Turkish Bombing of Afrin, Syria

Turkish army forces bombed the Kurdish town of Afrin in Aleppo province in northern Syria with heavy artillery on Thursday (8 Sept), causing casualties among civilians, activists and eyewitnesses reported.

At least six civilians were killed and eight others were injured in the Turkish bombardment, which targeted the Sourkeh district in Afrin.

“Turkey’s military forces, stationed on the Syrian border, launched dozens of artillery shells on Afrin. At least 50 shells hit residential buildings in the Sourkeh district,” rights activist Roj Musa told ARA News in Afrin.

“Six civilians lost their lives so far, and eight others were injured, some of them are in critical condition,” Musa reported.

The bombardment also caused huge destruction in residential buildings. Local rescue teams continued searching for survivors under the rubble.

In the meantime, the Kurdish administration in Afrin issued a list of the names of the victims, and condemned the Turkish attack.

“While our forces continue to fight radical Islamists in the vicinity of Afrin and other areas of Aleppo province, the Turkish authorities intensified their military operations against the Kurdish areas in northern Syria,” a spokesman for the Kurdish YPG forces told ARA News in Afrin.

“The attack on Afrin confirms that Turkey’s intervention in Syria is mainly aimed at fighting the Kurds. All victims of Afrin attack were civilians, non of them was a terrorist as Turkey tries to claim,” the official said.

 

Source: http://www.kurdishquestion.com/article/3425-turkish-army-bombs-afrin-northwest-syria-civilian-casualties-reported