Turkey launches military action in north east Syria

Smoke billows following Turkish bombardment on Syria's northeastern town of Ras al-Ain
AFP via Getty Images
Luke O'Reilly9 October 2019

Turkey's has started its military operation into Syria, the country has announced.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon.

The attack, in the north east of the country, will target both Syrian Kurdish as well as ISIS fighters.

President Erdogan said Turkey are reinforced by their Syrian rebel allies and that the offensive aimed to eliminate a "terror corridor" along the southern Turkish border.

Smoke billows from a fire inside Syria during bombardment by Turkish forces
AP

He said the offensive, dubbed "Operation Peace Spring", would aim to eliminate threats from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and the Islamic State militants, and enable the return of Syrian refugees in Turkey after the formation of a "safe zone" in the area.

"Our mission is to prevent the creation of a terror corridor across our southern border, and to bring peace to the area,"​ Mr Erdogan said on Twitter.

"We will preserve Syria's territorial integrity and liberate local communities from terrorists."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced an offensive into northern Syria
REUTERS

It comes as NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged Turkey not to "further destabilise the region" through military action in northern Syria.

He said in a tweet: "NATO has been informed by Turkish authorities about their ongoing operation in northern Syria.

"I count on Turkey to act with restraint and ensure that the gains we have made in the fight against ISIS are not jeopardised.

"I will discuss this issue with President Erdogan on Friday."

Mr Erdogan said the operation aims to eradicate “the threat of terror” against Turkey.

A spokesman for the US-backed Kurdish-led force in northern Syria said Turkish warplanes had started targeting "civilian areas".

Mustafa Bali, of the Syrian Democratic Forces, said the airstrikes have caused "a huge panic among people of the region".

The move follows Donald Trump's announcement last weekend that the US would be pulling troops out of Syria.

Thousands of captured ISIS fighters and their families are currently being held in the area by Kurdish soldiers.

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