The General Command of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has strongly condemned the Turkish state’s current wave of air strikes on the autonomous region of Northern and Eastern Syria.

Sources from the region said that the attacks continued on Monday morning.

The SDF statement once again rejected Turkey's claim that nine of its members were killed by the Turkish army in an alleged infiltration attempt in the occupied zone in northern Syria. The Turkish Ministry of Defense recently claimed this and used it to justify “retaliatory strikes” against the autonomous regions.

The statement said: “As part of its repeated lies and propagated disinformation, the Ministry of Defense in the occupying Turkish state has falsely claimed the martyrdom of a number of our fighters during the recent and ongoing Turkish aggression against our north and eastern Syria regions. We categorically confirm that these allegations are untrue, and they are disinformation used by the occupation to conceal its crimes in targeting infrastructure, civic services, population, and the sustenance sources of the people in the region. The evidence documented these crimes is clearer than all the repeated Turkish claims and directly holds the occupying state convicted.”

The SDF continued: “Over the past two days, the Turkish occupation has targeted, using warplanes and armed drones, key energy and electricity facilities, as well as grain storage warehouses and silos and firefighting crews. These attacks have extended to the homes of civilians, their farms, and the sources of their daily sustenance, impacting major roads and city outskirts, and causing extensive destruction. Consequently, these attacks have disrupted the delivery of essential services, including power, electricity, water, and other necessities, affecting hundreds of thousands of people.”

The statement added: “These direct attacks and barbaric terrorist aggression clearly and explicitly prove the hostility of the Turkish occupation state to all forms of life in the region. They constitute blatant and deliberate war crimes aimed at causing maximum harm to the lives of civilians, instilling fear, and inflicting suffering on their daily existence.

In the face of the Turkish occupation’s brutal aggression, we reiterate our right to a legitimate response and our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our people and territories more than before. Our fighters, now more steadfast and resilient against the assaults of hostile forces, will not allow the Turkish occupation’s aggression to go unanswered. This is our renewed covenant to our brave and great people.”

Dead and injured

The Turkish state has been carrying out a wave of air strikes against northern and eastern Syria since Friday evening. This is the third “air offensive” since last October. On Sunday, at least six civilians were injured as a result of the bombing, including two children and a journalist. At least two Syrian Arab Army soldiers were also killed.