Turkey destroys Syrian ‘terror targets’

ISTANBUL: Turkey destroyed an arsenal and command post belonging to “terror groups” in strikes on Syria Saturday, the Anadolu news agency said, amid accusations Turkish jets had bombed Kurdish militia positions.

The state-run agency did not say if fire was from artillery or warplanes or which groups were targeted. It said the fire hit targets south of the town of Jarabulus, which was taken from radicals by pro-Ankara rebels on Wednesday.

As well as fighting Daesh, Turkey’s offensive in Syria is aimed at countering the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia.

Pro-Kurdish rebels in Syria had earlier said that they had been the target of Turkish airstrikes Saturday morning, which followed shelling late on Thursday.

“Turkish jets have this morning bombarded our positions in southern Jarabulus and the Til-Emarne village,” said the Jarabulus Military Council, which is linked to the pro- Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) domi- nated by the YPG.

“With this aggression, a new conflict period will begin in the region,” it said.

A monitoring group and Kurdish sources have also said Kurdishbacked fighters clashed with Turkish tanks on the Syrian side of the border on Sunday.

Turkey sees the YPG and PYD as “terror groups” intent on carving out an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria although the US works with them in the fight against Daesh.