Tel Tamr – North-Press Agency
Delsoz Youssef
A few kilometers from the town of Tel Tamr, north of the city of Hasakah, the elderly Abboud Meizar contemplates his agricultural land, where his barley has turned into ash after fire spread by Turkish-backed armed groups caused him to lose his main source of livelihood in front of his very eyes, without being able to put the fire out.
After fire devoured several cultivated fields with the start of this year's harvest season, local farmers fear from the repetition of last year' fires, while fire and response teams are unable to put out fires that have affected lands on the front lines between Syrian government forces and Turkish-backed groups in the Tel Tamr countryside over the past few days due to the targeting of firefighting vehicles, the fire brigade in Tel Tamr confirmed.
After the arrival of Turkish forces and opposition groups on the outskirts of his village of Sheikh Ali last November, Meizar, like others, was living in fear of violations of the these groups. His concerns turned into reality when they burnt his annual crop of barley.
"Our lands, including my share of [over 12 acres] of barley, were burned after the fire spread from al-Munakh village, which is controlled by Turkish-backed militants, and we could not put it out because of the bombing and targeting," the old man said.
"I was counting on this crop, but I lost it. There is no power but in Allah," he added with sadness.
Turkish forces continue targeting anyone approaching the border or its areas of control within Syrian territory, the latest of which was the killing of a farmer in the village of Derna Aghei in the Jil Agha countryside on Sunday, while he trying to plow his land about 200 meters from the border.
Muhammad Sheikh Ali, a farmer from the neighboring village of Qbour Qarajnah, also suffered when his barley crop was damaged after being devoured by fire "coming from the groups' side," as he said.
"Despite Russian forces patrolling in the area, the bombardment has continued on our villages for seven months. Two days ago, the mercenaries set fire to our crops, and the firefighting teams came but they could not reach the crops because they were shot by the FSA," he said.
"Our crops turned into ash in front of our eyes, but what can we do! We are targeted if we come close to the field," Sheikh Ali added.
Residents of the region estimate the area of fields that were burned by the militants of the Turkish-backed groups until now at over 617 acres, amid the continuation of the fires in the region, where smoke plumes are seen rising over the villages adjacent to the areas of their control daily.
So far, the town of Tel Tamr has recorded six other fires, except for the arson that the Turkish-backed groups intentionally set, according to the records of the fire brigade in the municipality of Tel Tamr.
Mahmoud Da'ar, an official from the fire brigade in the municipality of Tel Tamr, told North-Press that they gave helplines to the farmers, as well as "identifying wells on the highways to deal with the fires if those lands are far from the center of the town."
He added that they follow a daily shift program around the clock, but they only have "one firefighting vehicle and four tankers."
Last year witnessed the burning of large areas of wheat and barley fields in northeastern Syria, estimated at more than 54,000 hectares.