In Syria, Turkish troops killed in possible suicide bombing attack by Kurdish fighter

A Turkish tank.
(Image credit: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty images)

Several Turkish soldiers were killed and a tank destroyed Saturday in Syria when a Kurdish fighter threw a grenade at them, Kurdish forces said Sunday.

The independent Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Kurdish fighter, who also died, threw a grenade down the turret of the tank, The New York Times reports, and its director, Rami Abdulrahman, said he did not believe it was supposed to be a suicide attack. The bomber has been identified as 20-year-old Zuluh Hemo, who fought with the Women's Protection Units, or YPJ, using the name Avesta Habur. In a statement, her unit, which is part of the Syrian Democratic Forces, called her a "heroine" who "attacked the tank and blew herself up with the tank," and a "model of free Kurdish women."

Turkish soldiers are fighting Kurdish militias in the Afrin area of northern Syria, with the U.S. considering both forces allies. The Turkish offensive started more than a week ago, with the Syrian Observatory estimating that 66 people have been killed in the fighting.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.