U.S. shoots down Turkish drone as Turkey conducts strikes in Syria

Patrick Hilsman
·2 min read
11
UPI
Turkey accuses the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (pictured in 2022), who fought against ISIS militants in Syria with American support, of being linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey. File Photo by Ahmed Mardnli/EPA-EFE

Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. military shot down a Turkish drone over the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces-controlled zone in northeaster Syria's Al-Hasaka province Thursday, according to multiple news reports citing unnamed officials.

The incident came as Turkish forces targeted civil installations and oil facilities in Hasaka along with multiple other sites Thursday, according to local authorities.

"The Turkish State is committing a war crime by targeting the infrastructure and civil services facilities, including four power stations, three oil fields, and factories. The most heavily impacted by these aggressions are primarily innocent civilians," Syrian Democratic Forces spokesperson Farhad Shami posted to X Thursday.

"The Turkish UAV attacks resulted in a total of nine martyrs, comprising three civilians and six members of the Internal Secuity Forces who were guarding the targeted civic facilities. The Turkish State is publicly practicing state terrorism," Shami continued.

The strikes follow an attack in the Kurdish city of Ankara Sunday, which was claimed by the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) militant group, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, and has been engaged in a conflict with the Turkish state for decades, demanding autonomy for Turkey's Kurdish population.

On Sunday, the Turkish military conducted airstrikes in Iraq against targets the Turkish Minster of Defense said were linked to the PKK.

The Saudi Arabian state-backed outlet Al-Monitor reports that the drone was brought down on Thursday was shot down by an American F-16.

Turkey accuses the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who fought against ISIS militants in Syria with American support, of being linked to the PKK.

Several hundred U.S. troops are based in Northeastern Syria, operating in coordination with the SDF, in continued military operations against ISIS.

On Wednesday, Turkish officials called PKK and SDF-linked installations "legitimate targets."

CBS reports that U.S. forces issued multiple warnings to the Turkish military, before opening fire on the UAV.

Late Thursday, the Pentagon said U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone with Turkish Minister of National Defense Yasar Guler in the wake of the incident.

Austin urged a de-escalation in northern Syria and stressed the importance of maintaining strict adherence to "de-confliction protocols and communication" through established military channels, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said.

Both leaders reiterated a "shared commitment to defeating ISIS," Ryder said in a statement, adding that Austin acknowledged Turkey's legitimate security concerns.