Truth is always the first casualty of war. So let's talk about this latest truth casualty of Operation Peace Spring. The earlier casualty was covered here: Operation Peace Spring: Explosion Near US Soldiers Occupying Alongside Kurdish Proxies- Source UnclearThe source for the bombing was totally unclear, but, point a finger and the media followsNow the latest: Heyrin Khalaf was killed, along with her driver and others. This story broke early yesterday. Below you will read a report I'd found at that time. Initial reports claimed it was an airstrike. The PKK media affiliates claimed it was ISIS then as of last night Israeli media was claiming it was Turkish backed rebels that had killed her. Hevrin Khalaf1st report: Bas News October 12/19
ERBIL — The leader of Syrian Future Party, Hevrin Khalaf, was killed on Saturday near Qamishli, Syrian Kurdistan, amid the growing violence in the region.
Initial reports claimed that Khalaf was killed in a Turkish airstrike. However, media outlets affiliated with Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) said she was killed in an attack by the Islamic State (IS) while traveling between Qamishli and Raqqa.
Khalaf released a statement a day earlier to denounce the Turkish military incursion into Syrian Kurdistan, calling it a conspiracy that aims at dividing the Syrians.
The killing comes amid the Turkish massive offensive against the Syrian Kurds, which has raised concerns about the return of the Islamic State (IS) in the area.Local reports previously said IS sleeper cells have increased their efforts to hit the local forces after jihadist prisoners attempted to break out of the al-Hol camp, where over 73,000 IS militants and their families are being held.
2nd report: Times of Israel October 12/19
Hevrin Khalaf, her driver and others ‘executed’ by fighters allied with Ankara outside Tel Abyad in northern Syria
Gosh, darn it. I've always had problems with changing narratives. Narratives that don't make sense. Stuff like that.3rd report (October 13, 2019) :SDF says Turkey-backed rebels killed Kurdish politician, rebels deny it
Asked about the accusation that Turkey-backed groups had killed Khalaf, the spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Army, which groups Syrian rebel factions, said they had not made it as far as the highway known as the M4.
"I confirm to you that our forces have not reached the M4," Youssef Hammoud said in a voice message to Reuters, saying that they had instead reached a road closer to the border.
Let's review: Initial reports are an airstrike. PKK media claims it was ISIS- Then Israeli media blames Turkish backed rebels and the SDF sings along. Turkish rebels confirm they hadn't reached that location at the time of the incident so they weren't the perps. You're still following? I have another thought- The PKK killed her because they saw the propaganda value in her death. She was possibly expendable anyway. The Kurdish Future Movement is a fractured party and I'm not certain what her leanings actually were. This party goes back to Mashaal Tammo- A name I recall well. He was murdered in Syria. In 2011. Strolling down memory lane At first I'd suspected the Turks had killed him, but later realized it was a competing Kurdish faction, most probably PKK that had him killed. Live and learn
"Tammo was released from prison (by the Assad government) Having represented the party on an Istanbul meeting of the Syrian opposition on 16 July,[2] he took part in the foundation process of the Syrian National Council (SNC), making the Future Movement the only Kurdish member party actively committed to the SNC."
Wrapping this report up. If I had to pick the killers based on what is known and understood, I'm going to suggest, as has already been done, this lady and her associates were more valuable dead for propaganda purposes then alive as possible competitors for Kurdish hearts and minds.