Civilian casualties in Turkish military patrol in northeastern Syria

Derik – North-Press Agency
 Solnar Muhammad

The Russian-Turkish military forces conducted a joint patrol on the border strip today in the countryside of Derik (Malikiya), northeastern Syria, in implementation of the joint memorandum of understanding between the two countries, in which Turkey used tear gas against protesting civilians, while a Turkish military vehicle ran over a protesting civilian and killed him.

The joint Russian-Turkish military patrol started from the village of Deir al-Ghosn in the countryside of Jil-Agha (Jawadiya), and reached the dam of al-Safan in the countryside of Derik (Malikiya).

This is the third joint on-ground Russian-Turkish patrol in northeastern Syria, where the first patrol was conducted on the road between Derbasiya and Sere-Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), and the second one was conducted in the eastern countryside of Kobani.

The people of north-east Syria have protested against the Turkish military vehicles participating in the joint patrols with the Russians on their land, where they threw stones and shoes at the Turkish military vehicles, expressing their rejection of the Turkish patrols.

Walat Selo, a young man from Derik countryside, said they went out to protest against running Turkish patrols on their land.

North-Press correspondent reported that the Turkish military vehicles, who entered northeastern Syria as part of the joint Russian-Turkish patrol have used tear gas against civilians protesting in the village of Sarmasakh Tahtani, in the northwestern countryside of Maabdah, according to sources from the village.

North-Press reporter added that the tear gas used by the Turkish forces against the protesting civilians caused cases of fainting, where affected people were taken into hospitals.

The patrol then changed its course after facing civilian protests by the local people, as the patrol returned to Alian area.