Turkey continues shelling Kurdish regions in Syria: Group

Despite international outcries, Turkey has shelled Kurdish regions in northern Syria for the third day, saying it will not allow Kurds to take control of the Syrian border town of A’zaz.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday that Turkish forces shelled a road to the Tal Rif'at town as well as a region near A’zaz. Turkey had targeted the same areas over the weekend.

"We will not let A’zaz fall," said Turkish Prime Minister Ahmed Davutoglu, adding, "The YPG (the Kurdish People's Protection Units) will not be able to cross to the west of the Euphrates (River) and east of Afrin."

Ankara regards the YPG and its affiliate the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) as an ally of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since the 1980s.

The YPG, which controls nearly Syria’s entire northern border with Turkey, has been fighting against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

Syria on Sunday condemned the Turkish attacks, and took the case to the UN Security Council. Turkey claims that Syrian Kurdish forces were advancing under the support of the Russian air force.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has also condemned Turkish attacks as “provocative.”

SS