Turkish Strikes Hit Water, Power Infrastructure in Syria’s Kurdish-Held Northeast
Turkey has carried out a wave of airstrikes on electricity and oil infrastructure in Syria’s Kurdish-held northeast that has put several power stations out of service, local sources and Syrian state media said Monday.
Hogir Najar, a media official at the Kurdish-run autonomous administration, told Reuters that at least 40 sites had been hit in Turkish shelling in the last two days, including power stations, water pumping stations and oil infrastructure.
Najar said at least 10 border towns were without power or water as a result.
Syrian state television also reported the strikes Monday, saying a Turkish drone had hit the Dirbasiyah power station and that the Turkish air bombardment hit a power transfer station in the main town of Qamishli. Two water stations were also put out of service as Turkish strikes on Monday had cut off their electricity supply, Syria’s state news agency SANA said.
Turkey has conducted military incursions and bombing campaigns in Syria against the Kurdish YPG, which it regards as a wing of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.
The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984.
Turkeys defense ministry confirmed it conducted air strikes in northern Iraq and northern Syria over the weekend after nine Turkish soldiers were killed in a clash with the outlawed PKK in northern Iraq.
The airstrikes destroyed targets consisting of caves, shelters and depots as well as a natural gas production facility, the ministry said in a statement Sunday.
Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency (MIT) also mounted strikes on PKK and YPG targets in Syria, state-run Anadolu Agency said Sunday. The strikes targeted military bases and critical infrastructure facilities including oil and natural gas facilities believed to be used for financing of the PKK, according to Anadolu.
“The power station hurt a few hundred meters away from my house was hit last year, last month, and today too,” said Hussein Seifo, a resident of the city of Qamishli.
“Every time it’s fixed, it gets bombed again. We’re afraid for our children after the last two days,” he told Reuters by phone.
