Father, son wounded by SNA faction in northern Raqqa
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, a man and his child were injured by gunfire from an armed faction of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) while attempting to cross the M4 Highway in a truck loaded with livestock towards the areas held by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), north of Raqqa, northern Syria.
A source from SNA-held Tel Abyad, north of Raqqa, told North Press, “A group affiliated with the SNA’s Ahrar al-Sharqiya faction targeted a medium-sized truck loaded with livestock in the Ayyuah area, located between the M4 Highway and areas controlled by SNA factions in northern Raqqa. This resulted in the driver and his child sustaining serious injuries.”
In October 2019, Turkish forces, along with their affiliated SNA factions, launched a military operation dubbed ‘Peace Spring’ after which they occupied the northern Syrian cities of Tel Abyad and Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and their surroundings. The incursion caused the displacement of 300,000 of the region’s original inhabitants.
The same armed faction subsequently transported the injured father and child to a hospital in Tel Abyad and placed them under surveillance for further investigation in coordination with the SNA’s Security Service. In addition, the faction confiscated the truck and its livestock cargo.
The source also noted that this targeting incident is the fourth committed by the Ahrar al-Sharqiya along al-Tarwazieh axis north of Raqqa against individuals attempting to cross towards AANES-held areas, claiming that it is a “militarily restricted zone.”