A displaced woman from Tal-Abyad "Turkish artillery destroyed our house, affiliated groups looted the rest of it"
The Turkish war machine has destroyed her house, while Turkish-backed armed groups members looted the rest of its contents, she also witnessed the destruction of her village’s school by a Turkish airstrike. In less than 20 days, many civilian houses, schools and public facilities were heavily damaged, in addition to the displacement of more than 300,000 local people who have fled their homes, especially from the border-strip with Turkey.
The village of Tal-Fender, to the western countryside of the town of Tal-Abyad (Gre Spi), was the first target of Turkish military invasion supported by Syrian armed groups, mostly Islamist militias in order to cut the links between both towns of Kobani and Tal-Abyad.
In this village, Turkish war-planes have destroyed most of civilian houses and properties. Later, Turkish-backed armed groups stole and looted the rest of these houses. According to “Huda Darwish”, a displaced woman from Tal-Fender, who is now staying at a school in the village of Garouz, east of Kobani.
Speaking to North-Press, Darwish recounted her observations before fleeing her home-village, by saying: “At first, Turkey bombed our village, to let ISIS in,” referring to Turkey-backed armed groups, and said: “We are now displaced to these schools.”
“They destroyed my house”
In her interview, Huda Darwish pointed out that Turkish artillery indiscriminate shelling targeted her house, where it was destroyed, to be subjected to theft and looting by Turkey’s armed opposition groups. “We are now in this school, and with the onset of winter it is cold, as I have four children.”
“They destroyed our school”
In an incident that confirms Turkey’s targeting of public facilities, Huda Darwish said that Turkish warplanes targeted and destroyed the village school at 4 am on October 10, by saying, “My children were attending the school, now even if we go back to our village, my children would not be able to complete their studies.” Darwish explained that when they saw U.S. troops coming out of their base near the village of Tal-Fender, they made sure that Turkish troops would target the village.
“The displacement of local villagers”
Darwish acknowledged that Turkey caused the displacement of the people of her village of Tal-Fender, to flee for the fear of the lives of her children, and then to return back after two days to find her house completely destroyed, and then to flee to a school in the village of Garouz, east of Kobani, despite the harsh life inside this school!
Huda Darwish referred that no assistance has been provided so far, pointing out that they manage their living by the few things they brought with them from their house. What makes life harder for her, is that her husband is married to another woman, as she has children to take care of, in a school that lacks the most livelihoods. “Now, my husband is in another house, being married to another woman, he manages to two families now,” she said.
Huda finally hoped to return to her home village, as her children “will not bear the cold of winter in this school,” she added.