One killed, two injured by Turkish border guards near Sere Kaniye
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A man was killed and two others were wounded on Saturday when Turkish border guards opened fire on them as they attempted to cross the border in the countryside of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), north of Hasakah, local sources told North Press.
The sources said that Mohammed al-Saeed al-Thalj lost his life, while Abdulmalik al-Douri and Issam al-Fawaz sustained injuries. All three men are from the town of Gharanij in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
According to the same sources, the Turkish Gendarmerie opened fire as the three individuals approached the border fence west of Sere Kaniye, an area that has witnessed repeated incidents of similar nature over the past months.
In September, two civilians were killed and three others injured under similar circumstances when Turkish border guards fired live bullets at people attempting to cross into Turkish territory from the same region.
Since the Turkish military and its affiliated Syrian armed factions took control of Sere Kaniye in October 2019, the region has seen increasing instability, marked by frequent reports of violations against civilians, including shootings, arrests, and looting.
The city of Sere Kaniye remains under the control of Turkish-backed armed groups, while large parts of the countryside to the east and south are secured by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which continue to maintain relative stability in territories under the administration of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Residents in areas along the Turkish border have repeatedly reported such incidents, calling for international monitoring to prevent further civilian casualties. Despite condemnations by human rights organizations, cross-border shootings have continued, highlighting the ongoing dangers faced by civilians attempting to flee deteriorating conditions in Turkish-controlled territories.