QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Local and international angry reactions, following the crime committed against the defenseless Kurdish people in the Turkish-occupied Afrin region, northwest Syria, continue.
Officials of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) condemned the crime and called for an international reaction.
Ilham Ahmad, President of the Executive Committee of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), commented on the crime saying that “Turkey and its backed terrorist factions are responsible for the crimes against humanity committed in Afrin.”
On the eve of Newroz, March 20, militants of Ahrar al-Sharqiya faction, affiliated with Turkish-backed opposition factions, also known as Syrian National Army (SNA), opened fire on local residents celebrating Newroz, a Kurdish national occasion, in the town of Jindires in the Afrin region, killing five Kurdish men.
Following the crime, massive public demonstrations took place in Jindires and other areas in Afrin. Protestors demanded the ousting of the SNA factions from the region and providing international protection for the civilians to put an end to the violations committed by those factions.
Ahmad expressed concern over the fate of Jindires’ people, saying on twitter, “We are concerned for the safety of those who protested.”
She fears that Turkish-backed factions commit massacres against those who are protesting, saying, “Hundreds would be massacred, tortured, and abducted by the terrorist militants supported by Turkey if the world remained silent.”
President of the SDC Executive Committee called on the United Nations (UN) and human rights organizations to investigate the incident.
“We call on the UN and human rights organizations to investigate and end the crimes, and hold those responsible accountable,” Ahmad tweeted.
Earlier, the co-chair of the Relations Department of the AANES, Badran Chiya Kurd, tweeted saying, “The Turkish-backed terrorist factions committed this evening a horrific massacre against our people in Jindires just because they wanted to celebrated their National Day, Newroz.”
“We condemn this heinous terrorist crime, share the sorrows of our people in Afrin, and extend our sincere condolences to the families of the martyrs,” Kurd added.
The Legislative Council for the AANES denounced this crime, and it described it as “horrific and heinous crime.”
The Legislative Council also called on the international community to investigate this crime and hold the perpetrators and those behind them accountable.
In addition, the Kurdish National Council in Syria (ENKS), affiliated with the Turkish-backed opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC), also condemned this crime and demanded the accountability for those who participated in the crime.
Suleiman Osso, a top official of the ENKS told North Press that they “strongly” condemn this terrorist crime and call for holding an international trial for the perpetrators.
Osso demanded the removal of armed factions from the cities and towns of Afrin, and called on the international community to classify the Ahrar al-Sharqiya faction on the list of terrorist groups.
On March 21, Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), strongly condemned the “heinous” crime committed by the Turkish-backed faction against the unarmed Kurdish civilians.
“We will do our utmost with the concerned authorities and parties so that those who committed this heinous crime receive a just punishment,” according to Barzani.