US officials say Sulaymaniyah strike targeted SDF leader

Shafaq News/ A drone strike in Iraq's Kurdistan region on Friday targeted a Syrian Kurdish leader who has been an American ally in the fight against Islamic State, U.S. officials said.

Citing US officials, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that the strike on Sulaymaniyah airport targeted Mazloum Abdi, Kurdish commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Three US military personnel were in the convoy with Abdi at the time of the attack, and there were no casualties, the US officials told WSJ.

The SDF denied that Abdi had been targeted.

"The news that the Syrian Democratic Forces General Commander Mazloum Abdi was targeted in the city of Sulaymaniyah is baseless. Our General Commander is currently on duty," it said in a statement.

Turkey accuses the SDF, who have been the US’ main partner in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria, of ties to the PKK.

Turkey frequently conducts air strikes on Iraqi Kurdistan, whose mountains are used as by the PKK as bases. Turkey has dozens of military bases in the same area.