Turkish forces continue breaching ceasefire agreement in NE Syria
TEL TAMR, Syria (North Press) – Turkish forces and their affiliated armed opposition factions, known as Syrian National Army (SNA), have escalated their shelling for the second week of September, targeting contact lines north of Hasakah Governorate, in a clear breach of the ceasefire agreement.
Following the Turkish incursion into northeastern Syria in October 2019, Turkey signed two ceasefire agreements, one with Russia and the other with the US stipulating ceasing all hostilities and the withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) 32 km away from the Turkish border.
The SDF withdrew from the border areas according to the agreement, but Turkey continues targeting the area.
Last week, the Turkish forces breached the ceasefire agreement dozens of times by targeting multiple areas and thus causing material damages in both public and privet properties.
Tel Tamr, which has a population of about 25.000 and is 30 km away from the Syrian-Turkish border, is of strategic importance as it is a junction on the M4 Highway linking the Jazira region in northeast Syria to Aleppo governorate in northwest.
The town has been under constant attack by Turkish forces and their affiliated SNA, for more than two years.
Sporadic shelling
On September 9, the Turkish forces and the SNA factions shelled multiple villages north and west Tel Tamr, north of Hasakah Governorate.
The shelling targeted the villages of Umm al-Kheir, al-Sheikh Ali, al-Tawila, and al-Gozaliyah.
Tel Tamr Military Council, affiliated with the SDF, revealed in a statement, on September 9, that two militants of the SNA, who sneaked into the village of Leilan, were killed.
On the same day, the Turkish forces shelled the center of the neighboring town of Zirgan (Abu Rasin) with artillery, in addition to shelling the villages of al-Asadiya, Nuwaihat, Dada Abdal, Bubi, Khirbet Sha’ir, Tel al-Ward and Rabi’at.
On September 10, the Turkish forces shelled the village of al-Gozaliyah, west of Tel Tamr, causing material damages.
On September 11, the Turkish forces targeted the villages of Umm al-Kheir, al-Sheikh Ali, and al-Gozaliyah in the countryside of Tel Tamr with heavy machineguns.
On September 12, the Turkish forces shelled the village of al-Dardarah north of Tel Tamr. No casualties were reported.
On September 15, the villages of al-Gozaliyah and al-Aboush were shelled by the Turkish forces with a mass number of shells in late night hours.
Raping and murdering
Based on the field developments, the city of Serekaniye (Ras al-Ain), which is under the control of Turkey and its affiliated SNA factions, witnessed the rape and murder of a child by an SNA militant.
A local source told North Press that Soqour al-Shamal faction, a military group of the SNA, kidnapped the Iraqi child Yassin Mahmoud, on Wednesday, September 14.
Hours after his kidnapping, his body was found dumped near his house in the Mahatta neighborhood in Sere Kaniye, killed by a sharp object.
After examining the child’s body, a medical report revealed that he was subjected to sexual assault before being killed by cutting the neck artery.
The incident provoked angry and deplorable reactions by social media activists. Dozens took to the streets of Sere Kaniye and al-Bab, east of Aleppo, to condemn the incident.