Two Turkish Military Personnel Killed as Helicopter Shot Down
Last month, Turkey launched a military operation on the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia in Afrin.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said two Turkish military personnel were killed when a helicopter was downed during Ankara's military offensive against a Kurdish militia in northern Syria.
"At this stage, we can say that one out of two helicopters was downed. We have two martyrs," Yildirim said on televised, but added that there was "no evidence (yet) in our hands to prove that it was a result of outside intervention."
On 20 January, Turkey launched a military operation against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in its western enclave of Afrin, backing Syrian rebels with air strikes and ground troops.
State-run news agency Anadolu said the incident happened in the southern border province of Hatay, with private run Dogan news agency saying authorities were trying to reach the wreckage in the Kirikhan district.
However, in a posting on Twitter, Mustefa Bali, spokesman for the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces dominated by the YPG, said a helicopter had been hit in the Rajo area of northwest Afrin, near the Turkish border.
Earlier, Erdogan said a helicopter had been shot down without saying who was responsible, admitting that such incidents were expected in times of conflict.
He had also to vowed to make the perpetrators pay "a much heavier price." Yesterday, the military said one soldier was killed during clashes with the YPG the Afrin region.
Last Saturday, seven Turkish troops died in the worst single-day loss of the operation so far, with five killed in a tank attack.
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