JARABULUS, Syria

At least four people, including three members of Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets), were wounded in a rocket attack on Monday carried out by YPG/PKK terrorists in Jarabulus, northern Syria.

The White Helmets’ vehicle, which came to the region for rescue purposes after recent attacks by YPG/PKK terrorists west of the Euphrates River, became the target of the terror group's missile attack.

In September 2016, the Turkish army liberated Jarabulus from ISIS/Daesh terrorists as part of Operation Euphrates Shield. The aim of the operation, which ended in March 2017, was to eradicate terrorists from Syria's border territories with Turkiye.

While the operation was successful, the terrorist YPG/PKK, operating from Syria’s adjacent Tal Rifaat and Manbij regions, still often tries to carry out attacks in Jarabulus, Azaz, Afrin, and al-Bab.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

Euphrates Shield (2016) is one of the three successful anti-terror operations that Turkiye has launched since 2016 across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents. The other two are Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara