Toll in Turkish strikes on Syria Kurds rises to 18: Monitor

Turkish warplanes conducted a barrage of air strikes on Kurdish positions in northeast Syria early Tuesday, leaving several fighters dead, Kurdish forces and a monitor said.

Beirut: The toll in Turkish air strikes on Kurdish forces in northeast Syria on Tuesday rose to 18 killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"The dead are fighters and media officials from the People`s Protection Units (YPG)," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman, who had earlier reported a toll of three people killed in the dawn raids. 

In a statement distributed to journalists, the YPG confirmed that there were casualties from the Turkish bombardment but did not give a toll. 

"Turkish planes carried out a broad offensive on a YPG base that houses media and communication centres and some military installations," the YPG statement said.

The strikes appear to be the first Turkish air raids in Syria since Ankara completed an unprecedented military campaign there in March. 

Turkey also hit local armed groups in northern Iraq on Tuesday, killing six members of Kurdish security forces in an apparent accident. 

The Turkish Army said it launched strikes against in northern Iraq and northwest Syria "in order to destroy terrorist havens targeting our country". 

"The operations will continue to be carried out from now with the same determination until the very last terrorist is neutralised," the Army said.