Turkish ground forces seized at least one village from Kurdish fighters in northern Syria as they pressed ahead with their assault Thursday, launching airstrikes and unleashing artillery shelling on towns and villages the length of its border.
The Turkish invasion, now in its second day, has been widely condemned around the world. In northern Syria, residents of border areas scrambled in panic as they tried to get out on foot, in cars and with rickshaws piled with mattresses and a few belongings.
PBS:
At least 16 members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) along with six additional fighters of unknown identity were confirmed killed and another 33 wounded as Turkey and its proxy forces continued a massive air and ground assault on northeast Syria. Turkish jets and artillery shells struck 181 targets across the region, after U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to give the green light for the operation.
Civilians wounded and displaced. The Turkish Defense Ministry said it was only attacking what it called terrorist targets, including members of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia that makes up the backbone of the SDF. But videos and images of injured civilians, damaged homes and places of worship, and women and children piling into vehicles to flee the fighting continued to circulate on social media throughout the day. At least 13 civilians have been injured in the conflict.
ISIS fight stalls. As Kurdish fighters moved north to meet Turkey’s advance, all operations against the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria have ceased.
Foreign Policy:
