Turkish bombing causes panic among residents of Syria’s Raqqa countryside
KOBANI, Syria (North Press) – Residents of villages of the western countryside of Tel Abyad, north Syria, fear of the Turkish shells falling on their houses in light of the escalation of bombing villages near the contact lines by the Turkish Army and the affiliated armed opposition factions.
The sounds of the bombs cause fear among women and children, and make their lives and jobs unstable, say the villagers.
Last night, the Turkish forces and opposition factions shelled the village of Arida and Qiz’ali silos, west of Tel Abyad, with heavy weapons.
The fire broke out in the residents’ houses due to the falling of shells nearby, source from the village said.
Khalid Ahmad Polo, 45, a father of four and lives in the village of Bir Arab, 20 km west of Tel Abyad, said that no more than 10 families out of 100 live in the village now due to the military operations by Turkey and the affiliated opposition factions.
The residents of the villages surrounding the contact lines are worried about the development of the security situation, because “the shells fell again on the region over last days,” to cause fear among children and women.
On June 25, the villages of Avdiko and Kopirlig in the countryside of Tel Abyad, were bombarded by the Turkish forces and the opposition factions.
The bombardment burned houses and crops, local sources told North Press.
It is worth mentioning that the invasion of Turkey and opposition factions in October 2019, displaced most of the indigenous residents of the region.
Polo pointed out that the villagers who returned to their village mainly depend on the agriculture and raising livestock for living, and they have no other place to go to.
The Village of Bir Arab is only 6 km away from the contact lines between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkish forces along with affiliated opposition factions. It also hosts a military point of the Syrian government forces.
The villagers fear that the ongoing bombing will lead to the stop of the services to the region and they fear to be displaced once again.
Falling the shells, days ago, caused the power to cut to their village and nearby villages for several days, and the shells continually fall in different times in the morning and at midnight.
Early last week, Turkey and opposition factions increased their attacks on the regions of the countryside of Tel Abyad, specially the Qiz’ali silos.
On June 22, a civilian was injured by a shell of Turkish forces and opposition factions in the western countryside of Tel Abyad.
In a statement to North Press on June 25, Commander of the Military Council of Tel Abyad, Riyad al-Khalaf, said that the violations of the Turkish forces and the affiliated opposition factions continue in the occupied regions and in the front lines.
The shells fall during the day and at night, or sometimes at midnight, said Sabiha Khashman, 55, from Bir Arab village.
She mentioned that her village is the last inhabited village on the east and south side, and they cannot leave their source of living; agriculture and raising the livestock.
Khashman fears that they would have hard living conditions if they had to be displaced.
She stated that they move their children and families outside the village towards west when the bomb is sever, fearing for their lives, and they sometimes have to sleep in the open, and when the bombing stops, they get back to the village.
Although Turkey signed the ceasefire agreements with the US and Russia, it continues targeting the region.
Ayman Ayadi, 36, a father of four and lives with his family in the village of Bir Habash, 21 Km west of Tel Abyad, said that the sounds of bombs are frequently heard in the village that are 7 km away from the contact lines.
He added that he grows summer vegetables and he also raises livestock for living, and he will try not to leave his house as possible.