Turkey says civilians wounded in Syrian missile raids

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Missile attacks in Turkish-controlled northern Syria wounded several civilians, according to Turkey’s defence ministry and a monitoring group.

The ministry said on Monday that the ballistic missiles were fired from the Kuweires air base in Aleppo – under the control of the Syrian government – and struck al-Bab and Jarablus towns in the north of the war-torn country.

The raid “targeted civilian settlements and fuel tankers … civilians were wounded,” the ministry said in a tweet, accompanied by a video appearing to show several trucks on fire.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said its sources on the ground heard loud explosions near Jarablus “caused by rocket attacks of unknown origin”.

Several civilians and workers had been wounded, it added.

In March, missile attacks on oil refineries in the same area left four dead and 24 wounded.

The facilities have been the subject of repeated attacks in recent months, although neither Damascus nor ally Moscow – which has troops in Syria – have claimed responsibility for the raids.

Ankara had contacted Russian troops to demand a halt to the firing, the defence ministry said on Monday, adding its troops in the region had been “alerted”.

Turkey launched the “Euphrates Shield” operation in 2016, taking control of a swathe of territory in northern Syria.

The operation allowed Syrian opposition fighters supported by Turkey to control several towns – including Jarablus and al-Bab.

Syria’s war has killed more than 387,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

SOURCE : NEWS AGENCIES