SDF Chief Calls on Syria’s Interim Government to Take Responsibility for Turkish Airstrike Killing Kurdish Civilians

Peregraf

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi on Monday called on Syria’s interim government to "bear its responsibility" after a Turkish airstrike killed at least nine Kurdish civilians in northern Syria earlier in the day.

"The interim government must bear its responsibilities for the killing of its citizens by other countries," Abdi said in a statement, offering condolences "to the families of the innocent victims who lost their lives in the Turkish bombing of an entire family."

Abdi condemned the attack as a "crime against humanity" and urged the international community to intervene.

The airstrike hit the Kurdish-majority city of Kobane, a key stronghold of the SDF in northern Syria. According to the SDF, all nine victims were from the same family. The attack comes amid an escalation in Turkish operations targeting Kurdish-controlled areas.

Calls for Ceasefire Amid Ongoing Attacks

Abdi also reiterated the need for an immediate ceasefire across Syria.

"We call on the international coalition and the active forces to put an end to these crimes. A ceasefire throughout Syria has become an absolute necessity for the success of the transitional phase toward a stable and secure Syria," he said.

The airstrike follows a significant agreement last week between Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and Abdi, which aimed to integrate civil and military institutions in Kurdish-majority areas into state institutions. The deal also included a commitment to a nationwide ceasefire.

However, Turkey and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) have continued their attacks on SDF-held regions, particularly in Kobane and key infrastructure sites such as Tishreen Dam and Qere Qozaq bridge.

Ankara has long viewed the SDF’s backbone, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), as the Syrian affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group Turkey considers a "terrorist organization". Turkey has cited this as justification for its ongoing military operations in northern Syria.

For its part, the SDF has played a central role as a ground ally of the US-led coalition against ISIS.

With tensions escalating, Abdi urged the US-led coalition and other international actors to take action against Turkey’s continued military operations.

The latest developments highlight the fragile security situation in northern Syria, where competing interests continue to fuel conflict despite ceasefire efforts.