• Salwa Yusuk was a deputy commander of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
• She was killed along with two other female SDF fighters in a Turkish drone strike last Friday.
• The attack comes as Pentagon officials are concerned about a Turkish invasion of northern Syria.

A Turkish drone strike killed a renowned female commander of Kurdish opposition forces in Syria who was credited by the US military with saving American lives in the fight against ISIS, according to two defense officials.

According to officials, Salwa Yusuk, a deputy commander of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was among three female SDF fighters killed in the strike last Friday.

Yusuk, also known as Ciyan Afrin and Gian Tolhildan, had built a reputation over the last decade for her bravery on the battlefield, organisation of women in the military, and astute military planning.

“There is no doubt she saved American lives on the battlefield,” said a US military official who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the situation.

Yusuk and the two other SDF fighters — Joana Hisso, 30, also known as Roj Khabur, and Ruha Bashar, 19, also known as Barin Botan — were killed near Qamishli, Syria, when their car was targeted by a Turkish drone, according to defence officials. According to the SDF, Yusuk was approximately 42 years old.

Yusuk was described as “a critical SDF leader who led forces in combat vs ISIS since the height of the fight to defeat the vile ideology in NE Syria in 2017.”

The attack comes as Pentagon officials are growing increasingly concerned about a Turkish invasion of northern Syria.

Pentagon officials are concerned that a Turkish military incursion into Syria will force the SDF to defend itself against Turkish troops.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are the United States’ partner force in northern Syria.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke by phone with his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, on Monday. According to acting Pentagon press secretary Todd Breasseale, Austin emphasized the “importance of maintaining stability in Syria,” to Akar.

When contacted for comment on the killing of Yusuk and the two other SDF fighters, a representative of the Turkish Embassy referred to previous remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which he condemned US support for the SDF, calling them terrorists, and alleging that the deceased Syrian opposition fighters were recruiting children into two groups he considers terrorist organizations.

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