Two Turkish tanks in the town of Jarablus, located in Syria's strategic province of Aleppo, came under rocket attack by Kurdish militants on Saturday, the Anadolu Agency reported. The tanks took part in this week's offensive by Turkish-backed Syrian rebels to recapture Jarabulus from Daesh militants, a monitoring group and Kurdish sources said.
Rebels opposed to the Turkish intervention had earlier denied that there were Kurdish forces in the area.
The Turkish military began its so-called Euphrates Shield operation in Syria Wednesday, sending in dozens of tanks and hundreds of troops.
The operation is officially aimed at pushing Daesh militants out of Jarablus and preventing Kurdish forces from extending their territory in north Syria. Many international experts, however, noted that the Turkish operation in Jarablus is aimed first of all against Kurds, and only then — against Islamist radicals.
The soldier's death is the first reported Turkish fatality in the country's unprecedented campaign.