Turkish-backed groups have killed nine civilians, including a female politician, in northeastern Syria, according to a human rights monitor.
Hevrin Khalaf, the Future Syria Party’s secretary-general, and her driver were ambushed and shot dead on Saturday, according to Kurdish forces.
“The nine civilians were executed at different moments south of the town of Tal Abyad,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
“This is clear evidence that the Turkish state is continuing its criminal policy towards unarmed civilians,” the SDF said.
Turkey and its allied fighters began an offensive on Wednesday to push back the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG) from its border.
The YPG is the primary component of the SDF who have been instrumental in fighting Isis in Syria.
The Turkish government has described the YPG as a “terrorist” group with links to Kurdish rebels in Turkey. »