Turkish soldiers thwart car bomb attack in N.Syria

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish soldiers prevented a car bomb attack by YPG/PKK terrorists in Ras al-Ayn in northern Syria, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

"Our Syrian brother, whose car was seized by PKK/YPG terrorists in Ras al-Ayn and rigged with explosives, notified the situation to our soldiers at the first opportunity. Another catastrophe was averted by Turkish METI teams (mine/IED detection&disposal), who detonated the vehicle in a controlled manner", the ministry said on Twitter about the incident that occurred within the area of Turkey's anti-terror Operation Peace Spring.

The ministry also released a video showing a man explaining how the terrorists loaded his car with explosives.

"The terrorists accused me of being a human trafficker," he said, adding that they took and held him in a school, imprisoning him for two days.

The terrorists later released him and returned his vehicle and documents back, he added.

"They said nothing is in your vehicle. While I was on the road, the PKK/YPG terrorists called me and said we've loaded a bomb into your vehicle. When your vehicle was with us, we placed a bomb into it, you will blow up yourself and the soldiers with you," he said.

Describing how Turkish soldiers "instantly" responded when he called them, the man said they searched "all over the vehicle".

"They found a bomb in the fuel tank and in the ceiling of the car," he said, adding that the Turkish soldiers remotely detonated his car safely from a distance in a controlled manner.

"They thanked me. They said thank God you notified us before anyone was harmed."

He also thanked the Turkish army and soldiers, adding that none were killed in the incident.

Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate YPG/PKK terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.

Ankara wants YPG/PKK terrorists to withdraw from the region so a safe zone can be created to pave the way for the safe return of some two million refugees.

On Oct. 22, Ankara and Moscow reached a deal under which YPG/PKK terrorists would pull back 30 km (18.6 mi) south of Turkey’s border with Syria, and security forces from Turkey and Russia would mount joint patrols there.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.