UNSC to hold emergency meeting to discuss Turkey offensive in northern Syria today

The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the recent Turkey offensive in northern Syria on Thursday morning.

"Yes, tomorrow morning, we are going to do Colombia briefing and immediately afterwards the Syrian question is scheduled for tomorrow morning," the council's current president South African Ambassador Jerry Matjila told reporters on Wednesday said.

The meeting announcement comes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of 'Operation Peace Spring' against Syria Defence Forces' Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) "to neutralize terror threats against Turkey and lead to the establishment of a safe zone."

The international community has expressed its concern over Turkey's actions.

Early in the day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his deep concern over the start of Turkey's military incursion in northern Syria and called on all sides to protect civilians in the region.

Meanwhile, the Turkish army on Wednesday launched an offensive in Syria. "Our military has started the ground part of Operation Peace Spring," the ministry said in a statement.

The media said that the Turkish warplanes have so far attacked at least four towns in Hasakah province and two towns in Raqqa province.

The SDF press service said in a recent report that at least three Kurdish militia fighters and five civilians were killed, while dozens were injured in shelling of the border areas in Syria by Turkey.