By shelling the Syrian region of Afrin, which is under the control of the Kurds and other allied rebel factions with which they form the Federation of Northern Syria, Turkish forces seriously damaged the ancient temple of Ain Dara there.
This was announced by the Syrian government and the non-governmental organization Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, writes B92.
Photographs of the temple published online show a hole that clearly resembles a shell crater, Reuters reports. The temple dates from the period from 1.300 to 740 BC. The Syrian Antiquities Service has called for international pressure on Turkey "to prevent archaeological and cultural sites from being targeted," according to Syrian state media. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, announced that the temple of Ain Dara was exposed to Turkish shelling and that it was damaged, but that there were no victims. The Turkish military, for now, is not available for comment. The Turkish operation against Syrian Kurdish units in Afrin began a week ago, with heavy bombardment, but limited advance of the Turkish army, according to the British agency. The Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad has condemned the Turkish attack, but opposes Kurdish aspirations for autonomy in northern parts of Syria.
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