Turkish army strikes 'civilian' convoy in Afrin

MENA

Published: 2018-02-23 19:38

Last Updated: 2024-04-24 02:45


A photo from the Syrian city of Afrin
A photo from the Syrian city of Afrin

The Turkish army struck a convoy that was going to the Syrian Kurdish-held region of Afrin, which, according to Turkey, was carrying fighters and weapons, Reuters reported.

The Turkish military said in a statement on Friday that a fleet of some 30-40 vehicles belonging to the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia approached the main town of Afrin. It said that their artillery targeted the convoy that was “carrying terrorists, weapons and ammunition.”

However, Kurdish forces said that the convoy that arrived in Afrin on Thursday was carrying civilians and was loaded with food and medicine.

Birusk Hasaka, the YPG spokesman in Afrin, said that the shelling killed one person and injured at least ten people. Hundreds of people were part of the convoy.

“The convoy was headed to stand in solidarity with the people of Afrin, carrying food aid and medical supplies,” he told Reuters.

Last month, Turkey launched an assault on Afrin in an effort to “drive out the YPG which it deems a menace along its border,” while denying that it had hit any civilians. Reuters reported.

On Friday, Human Rights Watch said that it had investigated three attacks on a cluster of tents, a poultry farm, and a house in Afrin last month, which killed 26 civilians, including 17 children, it said.