US CENTCOM expresses condolences for the death of SDF Deputy Commander and two Kurdish women fighters

US Central Command released a statement expressing condolences to the families of three women killed by a Turkish drone strike on Friday.

It read:

“Salwa Yusuk (AKA Ciyan Afrin) a Deputy Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – along with 2 fellow female fighters – was killed in an attack near Qamishli, Syria, on July 22, 2022. Salwa was a critical SDF leader who led forces in combat vs ISIS since the height of the fight to defeat the vile ideology in NE Syria in 2017. CENTCOM extends our condolences to the Families of these 3 SDF fighters, the people in Northeast Syria & our SDF partners.”

The SDF, the armed forces of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), is part of the Global Coalition in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria, constituting the de facto ground force of the Coalition.

The general Commander of the SDF, Mazloum Abdi, said in a statement:

“Joint Operations Commander with the Global Coalition, Jiyan Afrin, along with our comrades Roj and Barin, all heroines, took part in the war against ISIS to save humanity. Turkey targeting them undermines the war against ISIS. Partners must make greater efforts to stop the violations. We will avenge them."