2 Journalists Covering Syrian Conflict Died Of Drone Attack

JAKARTA - Two journalists working for Kurdish media in Turkey died in northern Syria. The vehicle the journalist was traveling in was suspected of being targeted by a Turkish drone.

Turkish media reports said Nazim Dastan and Cihan Bilgin were killed near the Tishrin Dam, about 90 km (56 miles) east of Aleppo, while covering fighting between Turkish-backed forces and Syrian Kurdish militias central to the US-backed Syrian Democratic Party (SDF).

In a speech at the Turkish parliament on Friday, December 20, Gulistan Kilic Kocyigit, one of the chairmen of the DEM Party, condemned the murder of the journalist.

"This attack is a crime against humanity," he said. "We call on the Turkish government to immediately address this issue and ensure that press protection is enforced," he continued.

Turkish officials have not commented on the incident.

Meanwhile, according to the Bianet news site, the two journalists are known for their coverage of the Syrian conflict, including extensive news on Kurdish issues and ISIS.

Turkey considers the YPG militia, which spearheaded the SDF, as an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), whose militants have been fighting the Turkish state for 40 years.