Turkish-backed groups plundering civilian properties in Syria’s Ras al-Ain
Demographic change process underway
Tal Tamr – North-Press Agency
Delsoz Yousef – Avin Seikhmous
Local people of Syria’s north-eastern town of Sere-Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) are afraid to return to their hometown after the Turkish military and its affiliated armed opposition groups have taken control over the area, which is experiencing infrastructure damage as a result of the Turkish military invasion, as well as looting civilian properties. Residents of Ras al-Ain also fear from the demographic change of the region, by resettling Syrian refugees from other Syrian regions in their hometown, as it has happened in several Syrian areas controlled by Turkey and its backed armed opposition groups.
Nearly 50 days after Turkish military and the affiliated armed opposition groups have attacked the areas of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad (Gre-Spi), 300,000 internally displaced people who left their homes are still awaiting. Most of these IDPs are living in camps amid difficult humanitarian conditions, waiting to return to their homes, which is currently difficult, due to the practices of Turkish-backed armed opposition groups against the local civilians.
"We are spread in the open-air"
Abdul Jabbar Khalaf (a nikname), from Ras al-Ain said that he was forced to leave his house on the second day of the Turkish military attack, heading towards the nearby town of Tal Tamr, after he had been spread outdoors, he was able to provide a shelter for his family. He points out that 15 days after the "occupation" of Ras al-Ain, he went back to the town in a dangerous way to check on his house and properties, accompanied by a person from the town, adding with a grief tone: "When I entered my house, it was completely stolen and then burned, not only my house, but the entire neighborhood is almost destroyed, the electricity panel was even stolen.”
Fighting over stolen objects
The 40-year-old man described the situation inside Ras al-Ain as "devastation and destruction", by saying: "The night I spent inside the town, Turkish-backed armed opposition militants were fighting each other with weapons for about three hours over the stolen objects from civilians’ properties. The town was completely looted.”
"These actions are out of logic, they are away from Islam and any law, even the Mongol invasion wasn't like this", Khalaf added. He also pointed out his brother and father are still in the town, noting that an armed group raided their house at dawn, and stolen all the valuables objects and money and went out without any controls.
Despite a memorandum of understanding with Russia on October 23, which calls for a suspension of military attacks, and was limited to joint patrols near the borders, Turkey and its backed armed opposition groups are continuing their attacks on areas in the countryside of Tal Tamr and Ein Issa, in order to expand their control areas, according to a statement by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
North-Press obtained photos and videos from local sources inside the town of Ras al-Ain, showing the destruction, looting and burning of civilian properties, in addition to changing the names of public institutions and facilities from Kurdish into Turkish and Arabic languages.
Bad situation
Dello Mohammad Ali, a member of Roj Hospital in Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) who has been displaced to Tal Tamr, is following the situation in his hometown, by saying: "They have burned my house and looted its contents. I used to have a shop, but it was completely stolen and its outer glass has been smashed.”
"The situation inside the town is very bad, it lacks electricity and water, even some civilians who returned to check on their houses, are disappointed after seeing the looting and burning incidents,” Ali said.
Ali added while flipping pictures in his mobile phone of his destroyed house: "Our town has been completely robbed and looted by the Turkish military and its backed armed opposition groups.” According to Ali, Turkish-backed groups have taken over the houses of civilians, pointing out that the groups' members took over the houses of local people by writing phrases on their walls which indicate that, this house belongs to a particular militant group.
"Returnees aren't allowed to take out the contents of their houses, while the militant groups invite them to relinquish all their belongings. The returnee can go to the town without taking anything with him, where they loot everything", Ali said.
The young man confirmed their town, which was flourished in the recent years, is now dominated by the scene of "terrorizing its inhabitants, due to the inhuman practices of those militant groups,” calling on the international community to intervene and put an end to the ongoing violations, and to prevent changing the demography of their region.