Turkish airstrike kills at least two in northern Syria

At least two people were killed on Saturday in a Turkish airstrike on a house in a Kurdish-controlled town in northern Syria.

The Turkish drone reportedly targeted a leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Ain al-Arab – or Kobani – killing his escorts instead, media activist Abu Omar al-Bukamali told The New Arab’s sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

More people were wounded including civilians who were in the vicinity of the target site.

Al-Bukamali added that the SDF cordoned off the area and set up checkpoints in and around Ain al-Arab, which lies east of Aleppo.

Earlier this week, the SDF clashed with Turkish-backed fighters in Tal Tamr in northeast Syria, with at least four civilians and two Syrian fighters killed.

Turkey maintains a military presence in parts of northern Syria, where it also backs other rebel groups. It also classifies Kurdish militant groups, including the SDF which is backed by the US, as terrorist organisations.

Ankara views the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Kurdish separatist group that advocates for an independent Kurdish state and increased rights for Kurds in Turkey, among other places. The PKK is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the EU, and US.