Turkish forces foil YPG/PKK model plane attack in northern Syria

ANKARA

Turkish forces in northern Syria thwarted an attempted attack by the YPG/PKK terror group and neutralized a terrorist, the National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The terror group tried to target a Turkish base in the Operation Euphrates Shield zone using a model plane, but the attack was foiled thanks to the vigilance of Turkish soldiers, the ministry said in a statement.

Turkish forces extracted data from the model plane’s flight control card to determine its point of origin and neutralized a YPG/PKK terrorist with a pinpoint strike, the ministry added.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian branch.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and to enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).

*Writing by Ahmet Gencturk