The Turkish military killed 21 Kurdish militants in northern Syria and Iraq, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

The announcement comes after Kurdish groups said they had launched a counteroffensive against Turkish forces that entered Syria and taken territory

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Kurdish militants in Syria will either lay down their weapons or "be buried", amid hostilities between Turkey-backed Syrian fighters and the militants since the fall of Bashar al-Assad this month.

Syria is ablaze as NATO-aligned forces clash over control in a deadly new conflict. Turkish forces launched a series of attacks targeting U.S.-backed fighters, leaving over 20 dead. Meanwhile, escalating tensions hint at deeper geopolitical rivalries unfolding on the ground.