Tel Abyad Military Council: Violations continue in Turkish-occupied areas
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The commander of Syria’s Tel Abyad Military Council, Riyad al-Khalaf, said on Friday that violations by the Turkish forces and Turkish-backed armed groups continue in the occupied areas and on the front lines.
On Tuesday, a civilian was wounded
due to bombing by the Turkish forces and armed groups on the western countryside of Tel Abyad (Gre-Spi) north of Raqqa.
Al-Khalaf added in an audio recording to North Press that since the beginning of this week, the villages of Khirbet al-Baqar, Arida, Zenobia, Sawan, Laqqo, Kour Hassan, Bir Zinar, Mablouja, Qazali and Qazali Silos, in the western countryside of Tel Abyad, have been bombed by Turkish forces with heavy weapons.
A few days ago, a Syrian government soldier was wounded in a bombardment by Turkish forces and Turkish-backed armed groups on villages in the countryside of Tel Abyad.
Syrian government forces are deployed on the contact lines with the Turkish forces, in the villages of the western and southern Tel Abyad countryside, in coordination with the Russian forces located in the town of Ain Issa, 50 km north of Raqqa.
Al-Khalaf referred to several violations that have affected residents recently, including the kidnapping of women and civilians and the demand for ransom in exchange for their release.
He added that Turkish forces raided the home of a civilian in the village of al-Hinada, 25 km south of Tel Abyad, who threw himself into theBalikh River and died.
The area has been witnessing repeated shelling by the Turkish forces and its affiliated armed opposition groups since the Turkish invasion of northeastern Syria in October 2019.
Turkish forces and Turkish-backed armed opposition groups took control of the cities of Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad and their surrounding countryside in October of 2019. Since this time, residents in the region have reported many human rights abuses, including theft, looting, assault, kidnapping and murder.