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In retaliation, the Syrian army has bombed several points in the rebel-held region of Idlib. The attack comes as Turkey is waging a campaign against the Kurds in the north of the country

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LOUAI BESHARA / AFP - Funeral de las víctimas del atentado contra la academia militar de Homs, Siria
LOUAI BESHARA / AFP - Funeral for victims of the attack on the military academy in Homs, Syria
Margarita Arredondas
06/10/23

Syria is once again on the front pages of the international media. Despite the fact that the conflict has recently decreased in intensity compared to the first years, the violence in the country has not ceased after more than a decade of civil war. 

More than 110 people, including military personnel and civilians, have been killed in a drone attack on a military academy in the government-controlled central province of Homs. The attack took place during a graduation ceremony attended by Syrian Defence Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas, who left the scene shortly before the attack. 

LOUAI BESHARA / AFP -
LOUAI BESHARA / AFP - Funeral for victims of the attack on the military academy in Homs, Syria

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported "112 dead, including 21 civilians, 11 of them women and girls" and at least 120 wounded. Health Minister Hassan Al-Ghobash told state television that the "preliminary" figure was 80 dead "including six women and six children" and around 240 wounded. 

According to a Syrian army statement, the attack was carried out by insurgents "backed by known international forces", who used "explosive-laden drones". In the statement, Syrian military authorities also vowed to "respond firmly" to the attack, one of the worst to hit the area controlled by President Bashar al-Assad since the war began in 2011.  

The Syrian army's promises have been kept. Shortly after the attack on the military academy, government forces shelled the rebel-held region of Idlib. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, eight people were killed and about 30 wounded. Parts of this province are controlled by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, a terrorist group led by the former al-Qaeda branch in Syria. The jihadist organisation has used drones to attack government-controlled areas in the past. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed "deep concern" about the Syrian army's retaliatory attacks and bombings, while Geir Pedersen, the UN special envoy for Syria, stressed the need for "an immediate reduction of violence, a nationwide ceasefire and a cooperative approach to counter terrorist groups". 

The bombing of the military academy and the retaliatory shelling of Idlib coincides with a Turkish campaign against Kurdish forces in northern Syria. After bombing Iraqi Kurdistan following an explosion outside the interior ministry in Ankara last Sunday, Turkish forces have carried out air strikes in northern Syria, destroying 30 targets, including "shelters, depots and storage sites", according to a defence ministry statement.

Turkey's targets in Syria are the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish organisation that Ankara links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist group by Ankara and its Western allies. The YPG is part of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF also played a key role in the victory over Daesh in 2019. 

Turkish strikes against Kurdish positions in northern Syria are likely to increase as Ankara warned that it would step up its operations in the area after concluding that the terrorists who carried out the recent attack in the Turkish capital originated from Syria. Between 2016 and 2019, the Turkish military conducted three major operations in northern Syria against Kurdish forces. 

The latest bombings have killed 11 people, including five civilians and six security personnel, according to Kurdish sources. Similarly, during this latest campaign launched by Ankara, US F-16 fighter jets have shot down a Turkish drone, deeming it "a potential threat" after it came "within half a kilometre of US forces" near Hasakah. 

The US and Turkey, despite both being NATO members and allies on some issues, have pursued different strategies in Syria since the beginning of the conflict. While both entered Syria with the common goal of overthrowing the al-Assad government, Ankara and Washington soon after began to pursue their own interests. While for the US the elimination of jihadist groups - with the help of the Kurds - is the primary issue, Turkey's main goal is to fight the YPG forces. 

Tags:
Syria USA Turkey United States Terrorism DAESH
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