By Dilsoz Youssef
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – Six years after being displaced by Turkish-backed armed factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), residents of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) in northeastern Syria dream of returning to their homes after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
As Turkish shelling intensifies and SNA factions occupy their villages, families remain stranded, their hopes pinned on a safe return.
In front of the house he took refuge in the countryside of Tel Tamr, northwest of Hasakah, Ibrahim Alo longs to return to his hometown of Sere Kaniye.
Thousands of displaced residents from Sere Kaniye now live in villages in the Tel Tamr countryside, which has become a frontline with Turkish forces and their affiliated SNA factions since they occupied the area in October 2019.
“Why do not they leave?”
Alo tells North Press, “Those who have invaded our area claim they were also displaced and that the Assad regime forced them from their homes. Now there is no regime. Why do not they go back to their homes? We are waiting to return.”
Following the fall of the al-Assad regime on Dec. 8, 2024, displaced residents hope to return to their homes and see the SNA factions leave, just as many Syrians have returned to their homes in other parts of the country.
Alo, whose house was looted by SNA factions and later inhabited by one of their families, adds, they have been displaced for nearly six years, noting that the SNA militants can take whatever they want, but they must leave their homes.
In the same street where Alo lives in the village of Tel Nasri, 1 km south of Tel Tamr, another displaced person, Fadel Imam, from Sere Kaniye, says Syria is entering a new phase after the fall of the al-Assad regime.
“We have been displaced for six years, and those living in our homes are from Hama, Homs, and Idlib,” he points out, asking, “They have their own lands. Why do not they return to them?”
Imam highlights that his city is only 30 km away, and he watches it longingly, hoping to return one day.
While displaced residents yearn to return, the Tel Tamr countryside has seen an increase in Turkish shelling recently, raising fears for the safety of villages still inhabited by civilians.
The shelling has forced mass displacements from villages along the frontlines. Many displaced people can only gaze at their homes from afar, unable to return due to the dangers.
When Turkish forces reached the outskirts of the town, residents of dozens of villages were forced to flee as shells fell indiscriminately, sometimes causing casualties.
Since then, displaced families have settled in villages south of Tel Tamr to stay close to their homes, hoping to return one day.
Withdrawal of SNA factions
Displaced residents are appealing to actors in Syria and humanitarian organizations to expel Turkish forces and SNA factions, paving the way for a safe return.
Zakiyah al-Nasser, a 70-year-old woman from the village of Umm al-Keif, 2 km north of Tel Tamr, emphasizes the need to remove the militants from their areas so she can return home after years of displacement.
She tells North Press that they cannot return to their villages because of the shelling. Their homes have been destroyed, and they can only look at them from a distance.
The displaced woman from the Sere Kaniye countryside explains that she had briefly returned to her home but had to flee again after it was shelled, leaving her home destroyed.
Local residents say Turkish shelling has caused extensive damage to homes, infrastructure, and vital services in villages along the frontlines.
The Turkish occupation six years ago also resulted in the closure of the M4 International Highway, a crucial lifeline connecting northeastern Syria to other parts of the country. SNA factions stationed near the road have further obstructed access.
Ahmad al-Khedr, a displaced resident from the village of Shibliyah near the M4 Highway west of Tel Tamr, describes their situation as dire, demanding the factions vacate the area so he can return home.
He says they cannot return now because of the shelling. Those who return are either arrested, killed, or forced to pay ransoms. This has already happened to people from al-Khedr’s village who tried to return, accused of coming from areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Wearing traditional attire native to the region, the 60-year-old says they want to go back to their homes, just as the people of Damascus and Aleppo have returned.
Displaced families from Sere Kaniye say that their homes have been occupied by families of SNA militants since the military offensive in late 2019.