ANKARA, Jun 5 (NNN-ANADOLU) – A Turkish soldier was killed and another was injured, in a rocket attack by “terrorists” in northern Syria, Turkey’s defence ministry said yesterday.
The attack happened in the Operation Olive Branch region, on Thursday, the ministry said in a statement.
The region is neighbouring the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). The Turkish army and the YPG members often clash in the region, as Turkey sees the group as the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The Turkish army launched Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016, Operation Olive Branch in 2018, Operation Peace Spring in 2019 and Operation Spring Shield in 2020, in northern Syria, in order to create a YPG-free zone, along its border with the neighbouring country.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the EU, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for over 30 years, which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people.
