MANBIJ, Syria (North Press) – In light of the recent Turkish escalation, Muhammad fears losing the state of security her city enjoys, she is afraid of the Turkish threats which will only bring woes to the region.
The woman rejects any form of war or occupation of her city, Manbij in northern Syria, because these attacks will have catastrophic effects on the entire society. She believes that chaos and instability pave the way for terrorist acts.
Asia Muhammad, 57, a resident of Manbij, said that she rejects the ongoing Turkish threats against the city and the region in general; because “they have been suffering from the occupation for more than ten years.”
Since the start of the latest Turkish escalation, the fear of indiscriminate bombing has haunted the residents of Manbij.
They fear that Turkey will carry out its threats, as they believe that the Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cell will take advantage of the circumstances to move and attack Manbij again.
On August 15, 2016, the Manbij Military Council and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with the support of the US-led Global Coalition, expelled ISIS from Manbij.
The areas of northeastern Syria include several prisons where ISIS fighters are detained, and they are estimated at thousands, most notably al-Shaddadi prison and al-Sinaa prison that is located in Guweiran neighborhood in Hasakah, northeast Syria.
On Jan. 20, 2022, the group’s sleeper cells carried out a series of attacks on al-Sinaa prison, where thousands of ISIS members were held, to set free their fellow inmates.
The prison attack sparked a 10-day battle between the SDF and ISIS militants and caused a mass exodus of residents of the neighborhoods of Guweiran, al-Zuhour, al-Nashwa, and Villat al-Hamr to the central and northern neighborhoods of Hasakah.
On Jan. 30 of the same year, the SDF announced taking full control of al-Sinaa prison.
On Jan. 31, the General Command of the SDF uncovered the toll of casualties of the ISIS attack, 374 ISIS militants were killed, and 121 people, including 77 employees and workers of the prison, 40 SDF members and four civilians, were killed.
Muhammad, who fears the Turkish repeated statements that talk about targeting Manbij, feels tired of wars, destruction and displacement.
She believes that Turkey’s recent threats against the region are “occupation of other parts of our lands, on the other hand, it gives an opportunity for ISIS to move and seize other areas.”
These threats increase the chance for the ISIS return which in turns increases the fears of the residents of Manbij in light of what they had experienced during ISIS control era.
Like most of Manbij’s resident, Roqaiya Muhammad voices concern over the recent Turkish threats against northeast Syria that destabilize the region.
Over the past month, Turkey has intensified its attacks and targeting of areas in the town of Tel Rifaat in the northern countryside of Aleppo and Manbij in northern Syria.
Muhammad told North Press that these attacks “destabilize security and allow terrorists to return, as well as, they aimed at destabilizing our region.”
Hussein al-Ahmad, 48, another resident of Manbij, believes that his city would witness stability generally, and the residents of the city would feel comfortable and safe were it not for the external threats to the city.
“We are against the idea of war; people are exhausted by displacement, asylum, fatigue, suffering and hardship,” he told North Press.
Al-Ahmad does not want more wars in the city, especially that Syria has been witnessing battles, air strikes, booby-traps, which, claiming the lives of many innocent people since 2011.
“Stability is better, there is no need for wars, we are tired of the situation, we have been suffering from wars since 2011,” he added.
The man hopes a solution for the Syrian crisis is reached, a solution that satisfies all parties and brings peace and security to the region.
With the intensification of the Turkish bombardment against areas in north and northeastern Syria, residents are calling on the active countries in Syria and humanitarian organizations to stop the Turkish threats; however the guarantor countries [Russia and US] of ceasefire agreements remain silent and turn a blind eye to the Turkish aggression.
Following the Turkish “Peace Spring” incursion into northeastern Syria in October 2019, Turkey signed two ceasefire agreements, one with Russia and the other with the US, stipulating the cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of the SDF 32 km away from the Turkish border.