Eleven civilians including a journalist have been killed as a result of intense air strikes launched by Turkey against North and East Syria and northern Iraq on Sunday night.

According to a statement by the head of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) media centre on Twitter, the Turkish Armed Forces have also destroyed the Corona Hospital in Kobanê, the power station in Derik and grain silos in Dahr al-Arab, Zarkan (Zirgan).

The Turkish Ministry of Defence announced the airstrikes on Sunday night in a tweet saying “It is time for revenge, the scum are being called to account for their treacherous attacks.”

Turkish forces bombed the areas Kobani, Shahba, Zirgan and Derik, one of the bombs targeting a car in the village of Taqil Baqil, which resulted in two deaths, reported Hawar News Agency.

After the first attack in a village in Derik in Qamishlo, locals went to the scene to help the wounded, but seven were killed in a second airstrike. Among these was ANHA journalist Isam Abdullah, who was reporting at the scene, reported Mezopotamya News Agency (MA).

Another journalist, Sterk TV reporter Muhammad Jarada, was injured in the bombing of Kobanê.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR)* say their activists have documented the deaths of six soldiers of the Syrian regime, and that six SDF fighters and affiliated workers were killed in the countryside around Al-Raqqah and Al-Hasakah in nearly 25 airstrikes by Turkish fighter jets.

According to the SOHR, two airstrikes targeted a border post of the Syrian regime in Um Harmal village in the countryside near Abu Rasin in western Al-Hasakah, killing four regime soldiers and injuring eight others, including an officer.

Ten airstrikes targeted Jabal Mashtanour, Al-Hursh, Al-Hokomi and the surrounding areas of Alishar village in Ayn Al-Arab city (Kobanê), killing four SDF fighters.

Several airstrikes targeted a Syrian regime military post in Qaz’ily village in Tel Abyad in northern Al-Raqqah leaving two soldiers dead and three others injured.

In addition to the village of Til Hermel, north of Zirgan, Turkish forces bombed the wheat depots in the village of Dahr-al Arab. Three people died and three were injured.

Turkey’s intense air strikes on the regions of Kobanê, Shahba, and Derik in North and East Syria and Sinjar (Shengal) and other areas in northern Iraq have started as a result of bombing in Istanbul, which killed six people and injured dozens.

Turkish officials stated that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG) organised the Istanbul bombing, however, the accused Kurdish groups condemned the attack targeting civilians and declared that they had no connection with the bombing.

* The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, founded in May 2006, is a UK-based information office whose stated aim is to document human rights abuses in Syria.