Two Turkish journalists of Kurdish origin have been killed in northern Syria where they were covering clashes between Turkish-backed militants on one side and United States-backed militants on the other, a Turkish journalists’ association and an NGO said today.

Nazim Dastan, 32, and Jihan Bilgin, 29, who worked for Kurdish media, were killed yesterday, Thursday, near the Tisrin dam, about 100 kilometers east of Halepi, Syria’s second-largest city, when their car was hit by an explosion, the Dicle Firat journalists’ association explained.

“We condemn this attack against our colleagues and demand accountability,” added the organization, which called them “two valuable journalists” who were covering the violence in northern Syria.

The Turkish Journalists Syndicate also condemned the attack, saying the two journalists “were allegedly targeted by a Turkish drone.”

“We condemn this attack. Journalists cannot be attacked while performing a sacred duty. Those responsible should be found and brought to justice,” the union’s Diyarbakir branch in the southeastern part of the country said.

The explosion was caused by a Turkish drone, according to the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya news agency.

The London-based (Syrian) Human Rights Watch, which is based in London, also reported the death of the two journalists in Aleppo province, saying it was a “Turkish drone strike.”

The Turkish military insists it never targets civilians but only terrorist organizations.