Turkey attacks U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds

As Russia and Syria paused their air campaign on Aleppo today, Turkey began its own bombardment, targeting Kurds just north of the city. Turkey claims to have killed 200 Syrian Kurds, but the Kurds say the number is more like 20. The United States has supported the Kurds in their opposition to the Syrian regime and Islamic State (ISIS), but also is allied with Turkey as a fellow member of NATO. Turkey is fighting off a Kurdish insurgency within its own borders and wants to keep the Kurds from becoming more powerful in Syria. But the Kurds say the attacks by Turkey help ISIS grow stronger. “We are fighting Daesh, why are they striking at us?” said Kurdish Commander Mahmoud Barkhadan, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.