Turkey destroying NE Syria oil, power facilities - Kurds

Turkish bombardment has damaged more than half of Kurdish-held northeast Syria's power and oil infrastructure, dealing a blow to its energy-dependent economy.

Turkish bombardment in northeast Syria has caused significant damage to the power and oil infrastructure of the Kurdish-held region, impacting its energy-dependent economy, according to Mazloum Abdi, the top commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Abdi criticized the United States for not doing enough to prevent the strikes, stating that American forces only protected their own positions and did not take action to stop the attacks. Turkey launched the bombing campaign on October 5 in response to an attack in Ankara that it claimed was carried out by militants trained in Syria. The Kurdish administration has denied these accusations and reported that at least 44 people have been killed in the attacks, including security personnel and civilians. Abdi stated that more than half of the oil and electricity facilities in the region were damaged as a result of the Turkish strikes, which targeted power plants and gas infrastructure. The assault has left residents without power since Thursday, exacerbating an already existing issue of limited electricity supply. Abdi called on the international coalition, including Russia, the US, and other forces present in the region, to prevent further attacks and assist in rebuilding the damaged facilities. He also mentioned that recent meetings with the Syrian government have been "lukewarm," indicating that tensions between the Kurdish-led forces and the government persist. The SDF controls a significant portion of Syrian territory and the majority of its oil resources, making it a key player in the region.