BEIRUT (AP) — Human Rights Watch is criticizing the way Turkey is conducting its offensive in northern Syria, saying it has failed to take necessary precautions to avoid civilian casualties.
The New York-based group cites three attacks in the Afrin region in late January that it says killed a total of 26 civilians, including 17 children.
In a statement Friday, it called on Turkey to thoroughly investigate these strikes and make the findings public.
Turkey launched an air and ground offensive in the Kurdish-controlled region on Jan. 20, saying it aims to clear Afrin of Syrian Kurdish militia which Turkey considers to be an offshoot of its own outlawed Kurdish rebels fighting within Turkey.
According to several estimates around 120 civilians have been killed so far in the offensive. Turkey denies hitting civilians.
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