SDF reveals outcome of Turkish attacks, anti-ISIS operations in NE Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) revealed on Wednesday the annual outcome of its military operations against Islamic State Organization (ISIS) and Turkish attacks on northeastern Syria.
The SDF Media Center said, in a statement, “The year 2022 has been the bloodiest and most harmful for the population.”
2022 has been the most harmful year “materially and physically” since the Turkish invasion of the city of Tel Abyad, north of Raqqa, northern Syria, and Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), north of Hasakah, northeastern the country.
On October 9, 2019, Turkish forces and their affiliated armed opposition factions, known as Syrian National Army (SNA), launched a military operation against Tel Abyad and Sere Kaniye.
The operation was named “Peace Spring” and led to the occupation of the two cities and their countryside in addition to the displacement of more than 300.000 of the original inhabitants.
The center monitored 17.596 Turkish violations and attacks, using heavy weaponry, warplanes, and drones, during 2022, causing 263 civilian injuries, including 59 children and 44 women, and 59 civilian deaths, including 12 children and 5 women.
In addition, 44 Turkish soldiers and 22 militants of the SNA factions were killed, according to the statement.
The Turkish attacks resulted in great damage to infrastructure, as the Turkish forces targeted civilian facilities, schools, places of worship, hospitals, power stations, oil fields, gas stations, and communications towers, the statement added.
On the other hand, the media center revealed the outcome of the SDF operations against the Islamic State Organization (ISIS) in cooperation with the US-led Global Coalition.
The center recorded 113 combined operations against ISIS in Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Manbij Governorates, arresting 267 militants, including leaders, militants, and collaborators, and killing 387 militants, including 375 ones who participated in al-Sina’a attack and 12 others in separate operations.
On January 20, ISIS sleeper cells carried out a series of attacks on al-Sina’a prison, where thousands of ISIS members are detained, to break their ISIS inmates fellows out of the prison, which led the residents of the neighboring areas to flee and take shelter in mosques.
While ISIS carried out 176 operations, including suicide attacks, IEDs, and extortion of civilians, the statement read.
The media center said that during the SDF “legitimate struggle” against ISIS and the Turkish forces, 178 SDF fighters were martyred, including 95 ones who were martyred during confronting the Turkish attacks, and 69 others who were martyred while fighting ISIS, 14 others due to traffic accidents and illnesses.