QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Since Saturday night, Turkish forces have carried out ground and air bombardment against northeast Syria, targeting primarily vital infrastructure serving the region which depends mostly on gas and diesel to generate power and pump water.
Violent Turkish strikes have halted service at the natural gas facility and power plant in the vicinity of al-Sawaydiya village in the countryside of Derik, far northeast Syria. The bombardment did the same to the power station of Teqil Beqil, also in Derik, and the silos located at the village of Dahr al-Arab in the countryside of Derbasiyah town in the same region.
A water pumping station in the village of Shirik in Derik is no longer serviceable too. Oil pumps in Gerdahol, Leilan, Dicle, al-Saied, Zaraba, Mashouq and Gel Hasanak all went out of commission.
Grain silos located at the village of Dahr al-Arab and the one in the Terbe Spi incurred damage. A school and a hospital under construction in Kobani were destroyed.
As maintenance teams are unable to repair the damages caused by Turkish air raids to gas, oil and energy facilities fearing new raids, the region faces new challenges on how to run the region’s needs in winter.
Al-Swaydiya natural gas facility in the countryside of Derik is the sole of its kind that feeds northeast Syria. Its maximum productivity reaches 13.000 household cylinders, according to Ziyad Rostem, co-chair of Energy Board of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Produced amounts of the gas, even prior to the Turkish raids, were not covering the region’s needs, according to AANES officials. Families used to endure a two-month period to have a gas cylinder replaced with a filled one.
However, as amid this current reality a new plight appears on the horizon as locals expect gas no longer be available or, if any, sold in return for expensive prices,.
The co-chair said oil pumps are almost completely out of commission owing to air raids. As a result, vehicles and bakeries among others are not going to be provided diesel for the time being.
Al-Sawaydiya gas facility used to feed Hasakah Governorate with 50% of electricity. However, as power generators are not running, villages and cities live in darkness.
According to Rostem, the facility’s gas turbines, which are responsible for generating power, have stopped working due to the lack of sufficient pressure to operate all of them, waning their productive capacity to 25%.
Regarding Teqil Beqil installation, it used to feed 65 nearby villages. Water facilities, clinics and oil pumps in the whole area were also fed by Teqil Beqil’s.
Rostem said the installation was completely destroyed. He estimated the incurred losses at half a million dollars.
The bombing of the Dahr al-Arab silos cost the region 1.000 tons of corn, according to the Economy and Agriculture Board of the AANES.
The Board estimated losses incurred at the silos at $150.000.