AIN ISSA, Syria (North Press) – Ismail al-Khalef, a resident of northern Syria’s Ain Issa, was shocked when he returned from the mosque after dawn prayer on Wednesday to find an unexploded artillery shell at the entrance to his house.
On Tuesday, Turkish-backed armed opposition groups bombed the town of Ain Issa.
Al-Khalef’s house is located in the southeast of Ain Issa, near the Russian military post.
”I could hear the sounds of shells falling in the vicinity of Ain Issa, but I don’t know where they fell,” he said.
Syrian government forces and a base for Russian troops are stationed in the town, following understandings with the SDF last year during the Turkish invasion of northern Syria.
Turkey, Russia and the United States signed ceasefire agreements in October last year, but Ain Issa is experiencing repeated shelling and targeting.
Muslim Muslim, a displaced man from Tel Abyad (Gre-Spi) who lives in Ain Issa, said: “The Russians are here, Syrian government forces are here, and the US forces in northern and eastern Syria…all of them, did not protect us last night from the Turkish missiles that terrorized us and brought fear into the hearts of our children.”
Muslim and other residents wonder whom to complain to, as all forces are on the ground and see civilians being bombed.
“Everyone agreed [to this], first of all the Russians; they were sleeping comfortably and we couldn’t sleep because of the bombing,” he said.
Residents of Ain Issa believe that the presence of Russian and Syrian government forces is not a guarantee of the implementation of the ceasefire.
This week, the town of Ain Issa has been under artillery bombardment for six consecutive nights.
Earlier, on Friday, a 13-year-old boy was killed after an artillery bombardment by Turkish and Syrian opposition forces critically wounded him as he played in the garden of his house.
”Dozens of artillery shells landed in the vicinity of the town of Ain Issa, while two unexploded shells landed on civilian homes inside Ain Issa,” witnesses said.
On Wednesday, medical sources revealed to North Press that five civilians were injured in Tuesday’s shelling, three of whom had limbs amputated.
The hospital was also hit by artillery fire, which resulted in the destruction of a wall in the hospital’s nursery on the second floor, according to the hospital administration.
Maryam Daoud, a resident of Ain Issa, said that she was filling her water tank when she heard a loud bang.
“I thought it was bombing of warplanes, and I went into a panic out of fear for my children,” Daoud added.
A shell hit the wall of Daoud’s house.
Maryam and other residents of the town do not know when the Turkish bombardment will end, and she simply says, “We pray to God to protect us.”