Eighty-nine targets, including shelters and ammunition depots, were destroyed today during the launch of the Gampso Hifos air operation against Kurdish bases in northern Iraq and Syria, according to the Defense Ministry. Turkey.
In particular, the areas of Qandil, Asos and Khakurk in Iraq, as well as Kobani, Tal-Rifat, Chizire and Derik in northern Syria, were affected.
The Turkish Defense Ministry noted that “among the neutralized targets are self-proclaimed leaders of a terrorist organization (Kurdish militants).”
Minister Milli Savunma Hulusi Akar, Hava Kuvvetleri Harekat Merkezinde after the briefing: “From now on, we start Pençe Kılıç Harekâtı’nı.” dedi ve avaklar terör yuvalarını yerle bir etmek için üslerinden havalandı.https://t.co/nliSmpStzB#high bit #HulusiAkar pic.twitter.com/3WRcWaz5qC
— TC Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) November 20, 2022
The airstrikes targeted the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the YPG, a Kurdish paramilitary group operating in Syria that Ankara says is linked to the PKK.
The airstrike came in response to last Sunday’s Istanbul bombing, for which Ankara openly blamed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), despite both it and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) denying any responsibility.
“Payback Time”
Also published footage of the moment when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives the order to launch an airstrike.
📸 President Erdogan called “Pençe Kılıç Air Force Base” areas in northern Iraq and Syria, which are used as bases by terrorists.
📌 President Erdogan, Bakan Akar’dan harekata rızın bilgi aldi https://t.co/KQLBbKMQm0 pic.twitter.com/CtOnGnimb5
— ANADOLU AJANSI (@anadoluajansi) November 20, 2022
the president @RTerdoganIndonesia ziyareti kakursinde Pençe Kılıç Hava Harekâtının ordered to start. pic.twitter.com/DfH3N9UQuo
— TC Cumhurbaşkanlığı (@tcbestepe) November 20, 2022
“Payback time” has come, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar tweeted earlier over a photo of a Turkish F-16 fighter jet taking off for a night operation.
“The bastards will be held accountable for their insidious attacks,” the Turkish defense minister added.
Minister Milli Savunma Hulusi Akar, along with TSK Komuta Kademesi and Hava Kuvvetleri Harekât Merkezinde, where he went, pointed out the importance of terrorist targets and gave instructions.#high bit #HulusiAkar pic.twitter.com/aFQDksLM65
— TC Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) November 20, 2022
“The nests of terrorists are being demolished with precise strikes,” he added in a second post, accompanied by a montage of hitting a target from the air, without specifying where it was.
Terör yuvaları tam isabet ıtıklarla yerle bir ıdıyola! 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/9jiFRn0hej
— TC Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) November 19, 2022
The representative of the Turkish President, Ibrahim Kalin, also spoke about the “time of reckoning for Istiklal.”
Istiqlal ichin khesap zamidi! pic.twitter.com/jv7p1aqcIY
— Ibrahim Kalyn (@ikalin1) November 20, 2022
Syrians and Kurds are preparing a response
The Kurdish-led SDF said Turkish warplanes had carried out strikes against areas they controlled in northern Syria, adding that there will be retribution. “These attacks will not go unanswered,” the statement said.
According to the SDF, Turkish bombardments targeted SDF positions in the provinces of Aleppo (north) and Hasakah (northeast), mainly in the city of Kobani, near the Turkish border.
“Kobani, the city that defeated the Islamic State, is being bombed by Turkish aircraft and Turkish occupation forces,” said Farhad Sami, a spokesman for the Kurdish SDF.
He confirmed that there were also Turkish bombings of targets where Syrian regime forces are stationed in Raqqa and Hasaka (northeast) and Aleppo (north), speaking of dead and wounded.
Milli Savunma Minister Hulusi Akar, Berebarinde Genelkurmay President Org. Yaşar Güler ve Kuvvet Komutanları ile Pençe-Kılıç Hava Harekâtını, Hava Kuvvetleri Harekât Merkeziinden sevk ve idare etti.https://t.co/nliSmpStzB#high bit #HulusiAkar pic.twitter.com/IMXii4kswJ
— TC Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) November 20, 2022
According to Sami, Turkish strikes destroyed grain warehouses, a power plant and a hospital. 11 civilians were killed, including a journalist.
Another Syrian military source said the fighters were killed as a result of “Turkish aggression on Syrian soil”, especially in rural areas near Aleppo and Hasaka.
On Friday, the US State Department said it feared “possible Turkish military action” in northern Syria and northern Iraq, urging Americans to avoid the two areas.
SDR leader Mazlum Abdi condemned the “aggressive and barbaric” Turkish bombings.
“Turkish shelling in our areas threatens the entire region. It doesn’t benefit anyone. We will do everything to avoid a major disaster. If war breaks out, the whole world will suffer,” he wrote on Twitter.
The attacks will not be limited to our regions, which are now being bombed aggressively and barbarously.
We urge our families to stay in their homes and follow the directives of the security forces. (2)— Mazloum Abdi مزلوم عبدي (@MazloumAbdi) November 19, 2022
War in Syria and Turkey
Syria, where a very complicated war has been raging since 2011, has been fragmented due to the intervention of various organizations and foreign powers.
Between 2016 and 2019, the Turkish military carried out three large-scale operations in northern Syria against Kurdish militias and other organizations.
Ankara, whose troops are present in several areas of northern Syria where they have established bases, has been threatening to launch a new large-scale attack against the SDF since May, which it calls a “terrorist” organization.
The Turkish government says it intends to create a 30km-wide “security zone” along its southern border.
Anna White is a journalist at 247 News Reel, where she writes on world news and current events. She is known for her insightful analysis and compelling storytelling. Anna’s articles have been widely read and shared, earning her a reputation as a talented and respected journalist. She delivers in-depth and accurate understanding of the world’s most pressing issues.