Thousands of people gathered in Kobane to protest against Turkey’s recent attacks on the autonomous areas of north and eastern Syria and called for unity, local news agency Jinha reported.

Many civilians, including children, have died and many have been injured in recent military attacks by Turkish armed forces.

The people in Kobane gathered to protest against these attacks and to emphasise the pluralist identity of the autonomous regions in the north of Syria.

Peyman Eloş, a member of the Kobane Education Committee, called the attacks excessive and inhumane, and stressed the multi-ethnic character of the areas where Turkey struck.

The Turkish government says it needs to attack the autonomous administration in mainly Kurdish areas of north and east Syria to prevent the foundation of an apparent Kurdish state by organisations it views as terrorists.

But Eloş pointed out that Turkey had targeted not militants, but a unified body of Kurdish, Turkmen, Armenian, Assyrian and Arab peoples in its attacks on northern and eastern Syria.

Moreover, the missile strikes and shellings struck the areas that should not be targeted in wars, such as schools, places of worship, hospitals and parks, he said.

Four schoolchildren were killed in a Turkish drone strike on a UN-sponsored school in Hasakah governorate in August.

Yara Nebî, the Sport and Youth Committee member also spoke during the protest and said that young people are in a rage against the attacks.

“We are not afraid of the Turkish state’s tanks, artillery and attacks, and we will always continue to be in the fields of struggle. Today, we see much better that our region is being invaded by these attacks and we will never allow this,” said Yara Nebî.