Turkey hits Kurdish enclave again

Airstrikes against ‘terror’ targets kill several in Syria

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey resumed airstrikes in Syria’s Kurdish enclave of Afrin, killing and wounding several people, the military and Kurdish officials said Friday.

The attacks on border areas and the main town in the region began Thursday night and have been among the worst since the Turkish army and Ankara-backed opposition fighters began a campaign on the Afrin enclave three weeks ago, Kurdish officials said.

The new bloodshed came as Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed cooperating more closely to resolve the Syrian conflict in a phone call Friday.

Macron’s office said he pushed for more robust peace talks — notably after a Russia-sponsored effort last month was boycotted by the Syrian opposition.

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency said F-16 jets resumed bombing Thursday night.

Turkey’s military issued a brief statement Friday, saying its jets hit 19 targets, including shelters, ammunition depots and gun positions belonging to “terror” organizations. All planes returned safely, the statement added.

Afrin-based Kurdish official Rezan Hiddo said by telephone that Turkish warplanes hit 23 points, adding that Turkey’s artillery in three areas near Afrin have been pounding the town.

“For the past 21 days, the Turkish army has been violating all laws related to war,” Hiddo said.

Since Turkey began its attacks, 120 people have been killed, including 26 children and 17 women, according to a statement from the civil administration council in Afrin. The statement, read to reporters in the town Friday, added that 60,000 people have fled their homes, leading to a humanitarian crisis. It called on international aid organizations to help.