Bereaved mother grieves son’s death in Turkish airstrike in NE Syria
Shereen, the mother of Alan who was killed in a Turkish airstrike against an academy in northeast Syria. – North Press
By Nalin Ali
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Shereen sits in a corner of a small room in her house, looking at some pictures of her only beloved son, Alan, and other belongings of him which serve as a tangible remnants of her son.
Shereen Dawoud, 43, the mother of Alan Ali, lost her son in a Turkish airstrike targeting a military academy for training Anti-Narcotics Forces on Oct. 9 near the city of Derik (al-Malikiyah), far-northeastern Syria.
On that day, the mother was eagerly waiting with other family members for her son to arrive home as he was scheduled to graduate from the academy that very day. However, as time passed and he failed to appear, a sense of worry gradually settled in her heart.
The grieving mother told North Press, trying to hold back her tears, “He was my only son. I still cannot comprehend his loss. He was the eldest in the house and a support for his younger sisters. He was a diligent student, excelling in all stages of his education.”
Alan was a beloved person by everyone. “Everyone who knew him would talk about him. He left a beautiful mark in the lives of everyone he met,” the mother said.
Waiting for the Call
During his teenage years, Alan started working at a car wash shop alongside his education. He relied on himself to a great extent. After obtaining his mid-school certificate, he dropped out of school and started a job at the supply institution of the Autonomous Administration of North and East of Syria (AANES).
The academy bombardment was part of a Turkish operation between Oct. 5-9 against AANES-held areas that Turkey said was a retaliation to a bombing in Ankara on Oct. 1. The Turkish government views the AANES and its military wing, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an offshoot of the PKK, which claimed responsibility for the Ankara bombing and has been waging an insurgency against Turkey since 1984.
However, the Turkish attacks killed civilians and military personnel, as well as significantly affecting the livelihood of civilians in north and northeast Syria, depriving them of water and power by targeting infrastructure.
The young man, Alan, had engaged in several other jobs before joining the Anti-Narcotics Forces, affiliated with the Internal Security Forces (Asayish), two months ago. He was killed in the last day of a one-month training program in an academy near Derik.
The mother said, “At first, I didn’t approve of his decision to enroll in the training, but he was determined to join it. I agreed after knowing that the training was purely theoretical and included lessons on drug enforcement.”
During the training period, which was supposed to end on Oct. 10, of 2023, Alan stayed in touch with his mother during the first week. However, in the second week, the Turkish attacks on the area began, and she lost communication with him.
During the Turkish bombardment in northeastern Syria, the mother anxiously awaited a call from her son to reassure herself that he was safe and unharmed. “But the wait was prolonged, and I didn’t hear his voice.”
On Oct. 9, Turkey bombed the Anti-Narcotics Academy. “At that time, I didn’t know that my son had lost his life,” said Dawoud.
Twenty-nine members of Asayish’s Anti-Narcotics Forces lost their lives, and 28 others were injured, some seriously, in the Turkish airstrike that targeted the academy in Derik.
Filled with uncertainty, the mother turned to Alan’s father, who was also engulfed with tension and worry, and asked him, “Was the place that was targeted my son’s location?” He replied, “The site that was bombed was a military post, and Alan’s place is a training center for drug enforcement.”
With the incident shrouded in mystery, the family began to inquire about the fate of their son. The mother said, “We asked about him in Derik. We sent detailed information to several people. Everyone knew that our son had passed away, but no one could inform us of this tragic news.”
Heartbreaking News
The following day, in the morning, the family learned that one of the individuals who was present at the academy had been injured from the strike and returned home. “We went there and asked about him, but he couldn’t tell us anything. He simply said, ‘The bombing happened at night, and it was too dark and messy to identify anyone. Hopefully, Alan’s location wasn’t affected.'”
It didn’t take long until the family heard the devastating news. Dawood wondered, “What does Turkey want from us? What have we done to deserve them bombing our young men and children? It is the responsibility of the relevant countries to intervene and prevent Turkey from targeting and shedding the blood of innocent people.”
Hajar Ibrahim mourns the loss of his close friend Alan, who was like a “pillar and brother” to him. “Alan brought joy and happiness to our gatherings with friends. He was someone dear to our hearts who loved everyone around him.”
“Although he has died, the beautiful memories he left behind are etched in our hearts and will be with us forever,” the friend says.