Turkish strikes on Wednesday targeted Kurdish forces controlling northern Syria’s al-Hol detention camp, home to more than 50,000 people, including relatives of suspected jihadists, Kurdish forces and a war monitor said.
“Turkish planes targeted the [Kurdish] Asayesh security forces with five strikes inside the camp,” said Farhad Shami, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, instead said that the strikes targeted forces guarding the camp’s exterior, “sparking chaos among [camp] residents.”
Photo: AP
Neither source immediately reported casualties.
Among al-Hol’s detainees are more than 10,000 foreigners from dozens of countries.
The overcrowded camp is also home to displaced Syrians, and Iraqi refugees.
Photo: EPA-EFE
It is the largest camp for displaced people who fled after Kurdish forces, backed by a US-led coalition, dislodged fighters from the Islamic State group from the last scraps of their Syrian territory in 2019.
The SDF warned that relatives of jihadists might try to flee the camp.
Ankara on Sunday launched a campaign of airstrikes across parts of Iraq and Syria as part of Operation Claw-Sword, following a bombing in Istanbul on Nov. 13 that killed six people.
Earlier on Wednesday, Turkey said that it was more determined than ever to secure its Syrian border from attacks by Kurdish forces, threatening a ground operation “at the most convenient time.”
Ankara says it is targeting rear bases of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is listed as a terror group by the EU and the US — and the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units, which dominate the SDF.
The US in a statement on Wednesday urged “an immediate de-escalation in northern Syria.”
“We are deeply concerned by recent military action that destabilizes the region, threatens our shared goal to fight ISIS [the Islamic State], and endangers civilians and US personnel,” US Department of State spokesman Ned Price said.
Both Kurdish groups denied responsibility for the Istanbul attack.
FLYBY: The object, appears to be traveling more than 60 kilometers per second, meaning it is not bound by the sun’s orbit, astronomers studying 3I/Atlas said Astronomers on Wednesday confirmed the discovery of an interstellar object racing through the solar system — only the third-ever spotted, although scientists suspect many more might slip past unnoticed. The visitor from the stars, designated 3I/Atlas, is likely the largest yet detected, and has been classified as a comet, or cosmic snowball. “It looks kind of fuzzy,” said Peter Veres, an astronomer with the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center, which was responsible for the official confirmation. “It seems that there is some gas around it, and I think one or two telescopes reported a very short tail.” Originally known as A11pl3Z before
‘CONTINUE TO SERVE’: The 90-year-old Dalai Lama said he hoped to be able to continue serving ‘sentient beings and the Buddha Dharma’ for decades to come The Dalai Lama yesterday said he dreamed of living for decades more, as the Buddhist spiritual leader prayed with thousands of exiled Tibetans on the eve of his 90th birthday. Thumping drums and deep horns reverberated from the Indian hilltop temple, as a chanting chorus of red-robed monks and nuns offered long-life prayers for Tenzin Gyatso, who followers believe is the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. Looking in good health, dressed in traditional maroon monk robes and a flowing yellow wrap, he led prayers — days after confirming that the 600-year-old Tibetan Buddhist institution would continue after his death. Many exiled Tibetans
Hundreds of protesters marched through the Mexican capital on Friday denouncing gentrification caused by foreigners, with some vandalizing businesses and shouting “gringos out!” The demonstration in the capital’s central area turned violent when hooded individuals smashed windows, damaged restaurant furniture and looted a clothing store. Mexico City Government Secretary Cesar Cravioto said 15 businesses and public facilities were damaged in what he called “xenophobic expressions” similar to what Mexican migrants have suffered in other countries. “We are a city of open arms... there are always ways to negotiate, to sit at the table,” Cravioto told Milenio television. Neighborhoods like Roma-Condesa
BRICS leaders are to meet in Rio de Janeiro from today, with the bloc depleted by the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), who is skipping the annual summit of emerging economies for the first time in 12 years. The grouping meets as its members face imminent and costly tariff wars with the US. Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be dominated by Beijing, which grew much faster and larger than the rest. China has not said why Xi would miss the summit, a first since he became president in 2013. “I expect there
RSS