Kurds report death of two European nationals during fighting against Turkish army
The People’s Defense Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia in Syria, has reported the deaths of two volunteer fighters, a citizen of France and a citizen of Spain, in battles against the Turkish army over the canton of Afrin in northern Syria.
"Our comrades Kendal Breizh and Baran Galicia, two of our internationalist fighters…were martyred in the clashes with the occupiers…on February 10," the YPG official website reported.
The real names of the deceased fighters are Samuel Prada Leon (a citizen of Spain) and Olivier François Jean Le Clainche (a citizen of France). They both arrived in Syria in the summer of 2017 to help the Kurds defend their territories.
The death of Dutch citizen Sjoerd Heeger, another European among the YPG ranks, during the battle of Deir-ez-Zor had also been reported earlier. According to preliminary information, Heeger had participated in battles in the Donbas on the side of the Ukrainian military prior to his trip to Syria.
In January, Turkey began military operation to combat Kurdish formations in the canton of Afrin. The Syrian authorities regard these actions as a violation of its sovereignty.