UK minister 'appalled' over terrorist attack in Afrin

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) – Britain strongly reacted Tuesday to a terrorist attack in Afrin, Syria by the YPG/PKK that killed dozens of civilians, including children.

Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa James Cleverly said he was “appalled” at the news coming from Syria.

“I’m appalled at reports that dozens of civilians were killed today by a bomb set off in a marketplace in Afrin, Syria,” he wrote on Twitter.

“The UK calls on all parties to heed @UN Envoy @GeirOPedersen’s call for a nationwide ceasefire. Syrians have suffered so much already,” Cleverly said.

At least 40 civilians, including 11 children, were killed Tuesday in a YPG/PKK terrorist attack in northwestern Syria, according to Turkey's Defense Ministry.

At least 47 others were wounded in the attack in the Afrin city center carried out using a bomb-rigged fuel tanker, the ministry said in a tweet.

Many buildings were damaged on Raju Street where the fuel tanker exploded, and medical personnel took the wounded to hospitals in the center of Afrin.

In January 2018, Turkey launched a major military operation – Operation Olive Branch – to rid Afrin of YPG/PKK terrorist elements and liberated the city and province that March.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terrorist operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of locals: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).

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