Turkey Shells Kurdish Settlements Near Syria's Afrin

Syrian Kurdish settlements located near Afrin in the country's northwest came under artillery fire from Turkish troops, Rezan Hedo, a member of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Council, told Sputnik on Tuesday.

BEIRUT/ANKARA (Sputnik) — The official added that those injured had already been sent to the hospitals of Afrin.

"Turkish artillery has shelled the villages of Kastel Cindo, Maryamayn, Jalbul and Shagura on the outskirts of Afrin. Two children and a woman died following the shelling in the village of Kafr Antun," Hedo said.

At the same time Turkish media reported, citing military sources, that the country's armed forces had carried out 20 strikes against the positions of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) near Afrin.

Turkey has repeatedly bombed the positions of Kurds in northern Syria. Ankara views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is considered by the Turkish authorities as a terrorist group.

Afrin is currently an enclave in the northwestern corner of Syria, separated from the rest of the Kurdish de-facto Rojava autonomy by Turkish forces near Al Bab.