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Kurds Criticize Damascus’ ‘Silence’ over Turkish Attacks

Installations at the Al-Suwaidiya oil field show severe damage following an alleged Turkish airstrike with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that - according to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - targeted the plant in the city of Qamishli, northeastern Syria, 06 October 2023. (EPA)
Installations at the Al-Suwaidiya oil field show severe damage following an alleged Turkish airstrike with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that - according to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - targeted the plant in the city of Qamishli, northeastern Syria, 06 October 2023. (EPA)
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Kurds Criticize Damascus’ ‘Silence’ over Turkish Attacks

Installations at the Al-Suwaidiya oil field show severe damage following an alleged Turkish airstrike with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that - according to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - targeted the plant in the city of Qamishli, northeastern Syria, 06 October 2023. (EPA)
Installations at the Al-Suwaidiya oil field show severe damage following an alleged Turkish airstrike with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that - according to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - targeted the plant in the city of Qamishli, northeastern Syria, 06 October 2023. (EPA)

Kurdish parties and political organizations in Syria called on the Arab League to intervene and deter Turkish attacks against Syrian territories.

The Syrian Democratic Council, the political wing of the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), strongly condemned the “Turkish aggression” on regions in northeastern Syria.

In a statement on Friday, it said Turkish fighter jets and drones carried out a series of attacks “with unprecedented hostility” on energy and vital installations.

Türkiye has said it was carrying out strike on northern and northeastern Syrian in retaliation to an attack in its capital Ankara on Sunday that was claimed by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Prominent Kurdish official in northeastern Syria Fawza Youssef described the Turkish attacks as a war crime and flagrant violation of United Nations treaties.

It held the Syrian government responsible for protecting state borders and its airspace from Turkish attacks.

The foreign relations department at the Kurdish autonomous administration that runs northeastern Syria called on the international community, United States and Russia to take “clear and honest” stances, otherwise Türkiye's actions will create “chaos and catastrophic crises.”

In the past 48 hours, Turkish drones struck 52 military and civilian locations in northeastern Syria, including 19 infrastructure structures, 22 residential buildings, and eleven military positions.

They also targeted five locations that are held by Syrian troops.

Seven members of the military and four civilians have been killed.

Turkish drones also struck 19 positions in Qamishli city in Hasakeh, 12 locations in Hasakeh, three in Ain Arab city in the Aleppo countryside and 14 in the al-Shahbaa regions in the northern Aleppo countryside.

Youssef told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Turkish attacks are a “continuation of the genocide against the Kurds and peoples of the region.”

She added that the attacks are aimed a displacing the people and emptying them of their original residents “in order to achieve Türkiye’s expansionist ambitions.”

Ankara has stressed that its attacks are strictly targeting terrorist Kurdish organizations that are active in the region.

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Arab World

Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
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Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Thursday called on major powers to “exert greater efforts to end the war in Palestine and Lebanon.” Meanwhile, an Iraqi government official urged the United States to “prevent any attacks on the country,” referring to potential Israeli strikes.
During a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Al-Sudani stressed the importance of ensuring the conflict does not escalate “to a level that threatens regional and global stability.”
The Iraqi prime minister’s appeal comes amid reports suggesting that Israel may launch strikes on Iraq in retaliation for attacks by Iraqi armed factions targeting Israeli positions.
The Iraqi government is striving to assert its exclusive authority over weapons and war-related decisions. However, armed factions affiliated with the Axis of Resistance openly claim responsibility for near-daily rocket attacks on Israel. This has provided Israel with a justification for potentially targeting Iraqi territory, especially after it filed a complaint with the UN Security Council against six Iraqi factions and held Baghdad responsible for the attacks.
These factions have also openly declared their involvement in the ongoing conflict with Israel in Lebanon and Gaza. The Iraqi government has been unable to take decisive action to halt the activities of these factions, which many believe could soon expose Iraq to an Israeli strike.
According to media reports, Washington has warned Baghdad that Israeli airstrikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless the Iraqi government curtails attacks by Iranian-backed factions on Israel. The Times of Israel cited sources indicating that the United States has “exhausted all means of pressure on Israel” and urged Iraq to act swiftly to prevent such attacks.
Despite repeated assurances from the Iraqi government—including its recent adoption of 12 measures by the National Security Council to counter Israeli threats and complaints—the situation remains tense. These measures include monitoring Iraq’s western borders, preventing factions from launching attacks, and maintaining Iraq’s neutrality in the ongoing conflict.
On Wednesday, Abu Hussein Al-Hamidawi, Secretary-General of Kata’ib Hezbollah, made a striking statement on the role of resistance factions in the war and their commitment to the Unity of Fronts doctrine frequently mentioned by Axis of Resistance groups.
In an interview published by the faction’s media arm, Al-Hamidawi said: “The continuity of the Unity of Fronts concept depends on what the Lebanese Hezbollah decides.”
Al-Hamidawi also emphasized that resistance factions are constantly coordinating internally and with external partners such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Palestinian resistance leaders.
“We aim to ensure that the Palestinian people are not left alone and that the Unity of Fronts remains intact,” he stated.
Fadi Al-Shammari, a political advisor to Sudani, reiterated that Israel’s threats “are not new,” citing the recent complaint filed by Israel with the UN Security Council as part of its pattern of issuing threats.
In media statements, Al-Shammari reaffirmed the Iraqi government’s long-standing position: “The decision of war and peace lies solely with the Iraqi government.”
He noted that the factions’ attacks are being launched from areas outside Iraq’s borders, specifically from Syria. However, he stressed that the Iraqi government is working through its security and military agencies to prevent Iraq from becoming a battlefield for external or internal parties.
Al-Shammari also called on the United States to fulfill its responsibilities under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with Iraq, emphasizing the need to deter and respond to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.