QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – In August 2019, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) started filling the defensive tunnels, which they prepared due to the Turkish threats, in the area between the two cities of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Tel Abyad, northeast Syria, within the framework of the “security mechanism” according to understandings took place at the time between the US and Turkey.
The understandings stipulated that SDF withdrew its forces and heavy weapons from border posts with Turkey by 5 km depth and 14 km long, in addition to having the area run by local military councils.
After filling the tunnels and despite the US reassurances to the local military councils to protect civilians against any Turkish invasion, Washington, in a surprising step, announced the withdrawal of its forces from military bases and posts on the border on October 7, 2019 in a step that was described at the time by the SDF, saying, “US soldiers did not comply with its duties.”
The US withdrawal came after an announcement by the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan that his country will conduct an air and ground operation east of the Euphrates in Syria, within the context of the next few days or hours.
As a violation of the security mechanism, the Turkish military and its affiliated Syrian armed opposition factions launched the so-called “Peace Spring” operation against Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad in October 2019, occupying the area and displacing the indigenous people.
Following the operation, two separate de-escalation agreements were signed, one between Turkey and the US, and the other between Turkey and Russia.
But Turkey has not shown any commitment to the two agreements and continued its violations against the areas held by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Drone attacks
The most recent of Turkey’s violations was on November 9, where three people from one family lost their lives in an attack by a Turkish drone in al-Hilaliya neighborhood in the city of Qamishli, northeast Syria, according to Asayish statement.
On October 23, three SDF fighters lost lives in Kobani, north Syria, due to Turkish drone attack.
The fighters were heading from Sirrin town to the city of Kobani for treatment when they were attacked by a Turkish drone, according the SDF statement.
On October 20, a Turkish drone targeted two civilian cars in the center of the city of Kobani, killing two civilians and wounding four others.
In mid-September, four civilians lost lives in a Turkish drone strike on the village of al-Dibs, 7 km west of the town of Ain Issa, north of Raqqa in northern Syria.
A medical source from Ain Issa said at the time, the Turkish forces’ drone targeted a car carrying four civilians heading towards the town.
SDF updates
Recently, Turkish media outlets have reported massive propaganda over an imminent military operation to be carried out in the town of Tel Rifaat in Aleppo northern countryside and other areas in north and northeast Syria such as Kobani, Manbij, Ain Issa or Tel Tamr.
In opposite, the SDF started to release daily updates regarding the Turkish propaganda that confuses the people on the ground.
“There is no change in the deployment and movements of the Syrian and international military forces, including the mercenaries of the Turkish occupation forces on the contact lines in northeast Syria,” head of the SDF Media Center, Farhad Shami, said On November 7.
On November 10, “The Turkish occupation and its mercenaries continue attempting to provoke our forces in the occupied countryside of Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ain,” the SDF Media Center said.
“The Turkish forces deployed a number of military vehicles in the western countryside of Tel Abyad and tried to provoke our forces in that region. The movement of Turkish military vehicles continued for more than three hours,” it added.
While the SDF forces continue to urge their fighters to exercise self-control implementing the de-escalation agreement, according to the SDF Media Center.
“Fake news”
Publishing allegations and fake news were another method the Turkish military has adopted to create chaos and justify any possible offensive on the region, as it used to accuse the SDF of launching attacks in the contact lines with Turkish-backed armed factions.
On October 23, the SDF refuted allegations by Turkish Ministry of Defense about the killing of the SDF fighters in areas held by Turkey in northeast Syria.
The SDF Media Center issued a statement at the time saying, “The Turkish Ministry of Defense claimed, our fighters carried out an attack on bases of the occupiers in the area falsely called (Peace Spring), killing nine of our fighters.”
“This news is false and comes within the framework of the occupation’s attempts to justify its attacks against our areas,” the SDF stressed.
On June 8, the SDF denied conducting any activity against Turkish forces in the regions of Sere Kaniye and al-Bab.
A day earlier, the Turkish Ministry of Defense said, members of the SDF opened fire on “Turkish Commando Forces” and announced the “killing of six of them.”
Regarding the announcement, the SDF Media Center said such news are “fake”.
On October 11, the SDF Media Center denied targeting the Turkish border and the city of Jarablus, northern Syria, which is controlled by the Turkish forces and the affiliated factions.
Earlier, media close to the Turkish government reported that the SDF had bombed the city of Jarablus and inside Turkey.
The SDF Media Center published a clarification then, stating, “Our forces have nothing to do with the bombing of the city of Jarablus or the Turkish border.”
“We believe that it is a repeated Turkish intelligence game, which was carried out by mercenaries supported by the Erdogan regime, and the Turkish people are aware of them well,” the SDF added.
In June, the SDF denied reports that the it targeted the city of Afrin, north Syria. This came as a result of two separate artillery attacks on the city center of Afrin which killed, at least, seven people and wounded several others. Media outlets cited Turkish officials as claiming that the SDF were behind the attack.
Farhad Shami, head of the SDF Media Center, denied what was reported by the media then, stressing, “We do not have any presence in those areas.”
In May, Shami posted on his personal account on Facebook, “The Turkish Ministry of Defense claimed that six SDF fighters were killed during an attack against Turkish forces in northeast Syria,” adding that this news is “completely baseless.”
Recruiting agents
Additionally, Turkey resorted to recruit agents after training them, and sent them to AANES-held areas in order to destabilize the situation the people have been enjoying since the military elimination of ISIS.
On October 28, the SDF Special Units announced the arrest of an agent of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in Deir ez-Zor, east Syria.
“The arrestee planned to carry out several terrorist operations, including assassinations and bombings against our forces, and he provided the MIT with GPS of military posts of our forces and filmed security sites,” the SDF noted.
On August 27, the SDF arrested 18 people in Abu Khashab town, 70 km west of Deir ez-Zor, on charges of working for the Turkish intelligence.