By Stella Youssef
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Turkey once again targets oil, power, and service facilities and infrastructure in Northeastern Syria, causing power and water outages in hundreds of villages and towns in the region.
Turkey targeted the town of Rmelan in the east of Qamishli, northeastern Syria, with five airstrikes, in addition to hitting three sites in Qamishli. The extent of the damage inflicted on these sites has not been confirmed yet.
Jwan Aziz, an official at the Electricity Directorate of the AANES said on Monday that two Turkish airstrikes on a power station in the town of Derbasiyah injured Basem Kabrin Farho, a worker in the station, and knocked the station out of service, cutting off power in the town and 200 surrounding villages.
Another airstrike targeted the Dilovan wedding hall in the village of Atshan in the countryside of Derbasiyah.
In the past 24 hours, the Turkish airstrikes put seven power stations out of service in northeastern Syria as documented by North Press.
The Turkish drones targeted a power station in the city of Kobani, northern Syria, twice. The airstrikes caused significant damage to the power plant, leading to a complete power outage in the entire city and about 360 surrounding villages.
The Turkish warplanes also hit the power station in the town of Ain Issa in the north of Raqqa, northern Syria. The attack caused a power outage in the town and 150 surrounding villages.
Turkish airstrike put a power station in Qamishli out of service consequently affecting 60 percent of the city and its eastern countryside.
Additionally, airstrikes on a power station in Amuda resulted in an electricity outage in the city and 90 villages. The attacks put most wells that provide the town and its countryside with water out of service.
Ibrahim Hassan, an officer at the Water Directorate of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in Amuda, told North Press that nine out of 16 water wells became inoperational because of the Turkish airstrike on the power station that supplies the wells with electricity.
The town of Tirbe Spiyeh (al-Qahtaniya) and 190 villages in its countryside suffer from power outages.
Facilities
Jan. 14
A Turkish airstrike targeted the Sweidiya gas plant in the countryside of Derik (al-Malikiyah), far northeast Syria. Several power substations were also put out of service due to previous airstrikes on Sunday.
The Turkish drone strikes also hit the Awda oil field and another oil facility in the village of Gire Pire near the town of Tirbe Spiyeh (al-Qahtaniya), east of the city of Qamishli. The airstrikes caused significant material damage to both facilities.
The Turkish drone strikes targeted three sites in Kobani. A local source told North Press that a Turkish drone strike targeted a power substation, in addition to a car repair shop near the southern entrance of the city and a facility previously used as a cement factory in the village of Chalabiy in the south of Kobani.
The Turkish attacks also targeted Abdullah Darbas Mill in the east of the village of Sinjaq Khalil on the Amuda-Hasakah road, in addition to a warehouse of the Agricultural Development Company in Kobani, resulting in material losses.
The Turkish airstrikes hit the Farmers Union building in Derbasiyah, a sponge factory in the village of Qenter, and a civilian house in the village of Kerbetili in the west of Derbasiyah. The attacks injured a pregnant woman and her two children.
The airstrikes also targeted a civilian warehouse located within residential neighborhoods near Al-Bassel Roundabout on the southern outskirts of Qamishli, which is under the control of the Syrian government.
Jan. 13
Five Turkish airstrikes targeted several service facilities in the villages of Gir Kendal, and Taql Baql in the countryside of Derik (al-Malikiyah) in the far northeastern Syria.
Other strikes targeted an oil facility near the villages of Gerdahol and Gir Sheran in the southwest of Tirbe Spiyeh (al-Qahtaniya), and the agricultural bank in the area.
A Turkish drone targeted a military post of the government forces in the village of Kharabisan Fouqani, 25 km east of Kobani, with three strikes.
Checkpoints
Jan. 14
A Turkish drone strike hit a post of the Military Security Branch of the government forces in the village of Dabbanah in the south of Qamishli, killing two soldiers and wounding four others.
A Turkish drone targeted a power station and a checkpoint of the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria (Asayish) in the town of Ain Issa in the north of Raqqa, causing material damage to the station and an office of the Transportation Directorate of the AANES.
Condemnations
Jan. 15
Hassan Kocher, Deputy co-chair of the AANES’ Executive Council, condemned the inaction of the U.S.-led Global Coalition towards Turkish attacks. He added that they fought ISIS in partnership with the Coalition, but they act as if we did not.
Kocher pointed out that such Turkish attacks result in prison riots that the Coalition should take responsibility for not the AANES.
The AANES said on Monday that Turkey launched more than 70 airstrikes on northeast Syria, adding that these “hostile” attacks are “unjustified” and violate all international laws and norms.
Jan. 14
Badran Chiya Kurd, Co-Chair of the AANES Foreign Relations Department, held the U.S. and Russia directly responsible for the Turkish attacks in the region. He stressed the need to pressure Turkey to halt its attacks.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) denied on Sunday the Turkish allegations about killing SDF fighters, saying that Turkey is trying to conceal its crimes in targeting civilians, infrastructure, and service facilities.
The AANES called on human rights, international, and humanitarian organizations to recognize the danger of the Turkish attacks in northern and northeastern Syria and their repercussions on the local population, the security situation, and the efforts to combat terrorism in the region.
The AANES in Kobani condemned the Turkish attacks, labeling them as crimes against humanity that violate international law. The AANES added the attacks aim to eliminate the livelihood of the people, destroy essential AANES institutions responsible for regional security, and facilitate the resurgence of ISIS.
The AANES said in a statement that the Turkish airstrikes knocked service facilities out of operation, hence preventing them from providing services to the entire region concerning energy, water, and agriculture. The statement also called on Syrian actors and the international community to take deterrent measures to prevent “Turkish crimes.”
Jan. 13
On Jan.13, the AANES urged Syrian actors to stop “unjustified” Turkish airstrikes on vital infrastructure and oil facilities in Northeast Syria that destabilize the region and undermine efforts to fight the Islamic State (ISIS).