First crops, then civilian homes burn in northern Hasakah

Tel Tamr North-Press Agency

On Sunday, Turkish-backed armed opposition groups burned civilian homes in al-Qasimiya village in Tel Tamr north of Hasakah, just days after they burned agricultural fields there.

Local sources told North-Press that after the armed groups set fire to civilian homes, smoke rose in the sky of al-Qasimiya village, four km north of Tal Tamr. With the start of the agricultural season they have already burned all agricultural lands there.

Firefighting teams from Tel Tamr municipality tried to get close to the village and put out the fire, but the Turkish-backed armed opposition shot at them, forcing them to retreat, according to what Tel Tamr fire brigade official Mahmoud Daar told North-Press.

On the 28th of May, Turkish-backed Syrian armed opposition militants burned civilian homes in al-Manakh village, which is under their control, in northern Tel Tamr.

Since the start of the harvest season, fires burned vast swaths of crops in northeastern Syria, and local sources accused Turkish-backed opposition groups of setting fire to agricultural fields under their control or those close to the front lines with Syrian government forces.