RIYADH: Saudi Arabia condemned the Turkish offensive against Kurdish forces in northern Syria Monday, describing it as “military aggression”.

The Kingdom’s foreign ministry said the operation is a “threat to regional security” and undermines international efforts in combating Daesh.

The attack was a “blatant violation of the unity, independence, and sovereignty of Syrian territories,” the ministry said.

Saudi Arabia’s comments came amid a wave of international condemnation over Turkey’s actions. The military operation aimed at crushing Kurdish fighters in northern Syria started on Monday afternoon with airstrikes and artillery. Later in the evening, ground forces moved across the border.

The attack comes after US troops pulled back from the area, paving the way for an assault on forces that have long been allied with the United States.

The UAE also condemned the offensive, saying it represented a dangerous development and a blatant and unacceptable aggression against the sovereignty of an Arab state.

The Bahrain foreign ministry also condemned the Turkish offensive, saying it supports the call for an emergency meeting of the Arab League Council to take a unified Arab stand toward the aggression.

The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the Turkish offensive as “an aggression against a sister Arab state and the occupation of the land of Syria exposes its people to death and displacement.”

The ministry called on the Turkish leadership “to reconsider its decision and urged it to work with the countries concerned to restore stability in Syria and implement international resolutions with emphasis on the unity of the Syrian land and people.”