Turkey kills 23 Kurdish rebels in Syria

Sunday, 2 February 2025 14:31

By Reuters

Turkey said on Sunday it had killed 23 Kurdish rebels in northern Syria, the latest in a series of strikes against them which have continued since US President Donald Trump took office last month.

The defence ministry said they belonged to the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.

Turkey regards the PKK and YPG to be identical, while the United States views them as separate groups, having banned the PKK as terrorists but recruited the YPG as its main allies in Syria in the campaign against IS.

Turkey has long called on Washington to withdraw support for the YPG, expressing hope that Trump would revise the policy of the previous administration of President Joe Biden.

Turkish forces and their allies in Syria have repeatedly fought with Kurdish rebels there since the toppling of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in December.

Turkey has said that the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF - a US-backed umbrella group that includes the Kurdish YPG - must disarm or face military intervention.

Under the Biden administration the United States has had 2,000 troops in Syria fighting alongside the SDF and YPG.

More from International news

Israel says it carried out warning strike in defence of Druze in Syria

Israel said it carried out a warning strike against an extremist group that was preparing to attack Druze in Syria, following through on its pledge to protect the minority group as violence spread in Druze areas near Damascus on Wednesday.
One killed, 46 injured as Russian drones attack Ukraine's Kharkiv and Dnipro

Swarms of Russian drones attacked the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Dnipro late on Tuesday, killing at least one person and injuring at least 46, officials said.
Blaze in hotel in India's Kolkata kills 14

At least 14 people died in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata late on Tuesday when a fire blazed through a six-storey hotel in a congested neighbourhood, authorities said.
Spain, Portugal switch back on and search for answers after major blackout

Spain and Portugal switched their power back on after the worst blackout in their history, though authorities offered little explanation for what had caused it or how they would prevent it from happening again.
Israeli domestic intelligence chief says will resign on June 15

The head of Israel's domestic intelligence agency, Ronen Bar, announced he will resign on June 15 amid pressure from Prime Minister Netanyahu and ongoing legal proceedings.
Trump touts economy at Michigan 100-day rally, as Americans grow wary

President Donald Trump touted what he called a series of major economic wins and forcefully attacked Democrats during a rally in Michigan on Tuesday to commemorate his first 100 days in office.
Canada's Liberals benefit from Trump backlash to claim poll victory

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals retained power in the country's election on Monday, but fell short of the majority government he had wanted to help him negotiate tariffs with US President Donald Trump.
Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo near 'significant breakthrough'

Negotiations held in Cairo to reach a ceasefire in Gaza were on the verge of a "significant breakthrough," two Egyptian security sources told Reuters.