Turkish forces conduct 16 shelling cases in NE Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – For the second week in October, Turkish forces and their affiliated armed Syrian opposition factions, also known as Syrian National Army (SNA), continued shelling of areas on contact lines in north of Hasakah and Raqqa, northeastern Syria.
The Turkish forces hit areas in Tel Tamr, Zirgan (Abu Rasin), north of Hasakah, Ain Issa, north of Raqqa and Kobani and its countryside last week.
On October 9, which marked the third anniversary of Turkish invasion of the cities of Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad, the Turkish forces shelled the town of Ain Issa and its countryside and Tel Abyad.
Following the Turkish incursion in October 2019, Turkey signed two ceasefire agreements, one with Russia and the other with the US stipulating ceasing all hostilities and the withdrawal of the SDF 32 km away from the Turkish border.
Heavy shelling
On October 6, a military source told North Press, Turkish artillery fired the villages of al-Asadiyah, Tel al-Ward, al-Rabi’at, al-Nuwayhat, Khirbet Sha’ir and al-Boubi with dozens of shells.
As a result, one of the shells landed on the municipality building, causing material damage.
Material damage was caused to the residents’ properties.
The village of Zormaghar, west of Kobani, was bombarded sporadically with several artillery shells for about an hour.
The Turkish forces and SNA factions targeted the villages of al-Mushayrfa, Abu Nituna and Debs in the countryside of Ain Issa.
The shelling of the countryside of Ain Issa coincided with another shelling of a French cement company in the western countryside of Tel Abyad.
The villages of Khirbat Bakar, Bir Zannar and Zenobia in the western countryside of Tel Abyad were also targeted, causing material damages.
The Turkish forces targeted villages on the contact lines including al-Dardara, north of Tel Tamr, Dada Abdal, al-Boubi and al- Asadiyah in the countryside of Zirgan (Abu Rasin).
Turkish forces also escalated their shelling of the villages of Dardara and Umm al-Keif in the countryside of Tel Tamr.
The village of al-Fatsa and the M4 Highway in Ain Issa countryside were subjected to attacks with heavy weapons.
Material losses were reported in the residents’ properties.
Turkish forces targeted the road between the towns of Tal Tamr and Zirgan with machineguns, halting traffic on the road.
The shelling with mortars and artillery also affected villages in the countryside of Ain Issa and M4 Highway, north of Raqqa.
The shelling caused material damage to the civilians’ houses
Security chaos
On October 12, The Turkish-occupied areas in north and northeastern Syria continue to witness a state of security chaos and instability amid the SNA factions’ inability to maintain the situation.
Local sources told North Press clashes with light and medium weapons erupted between al-Akidat clan and militants of the Turkish-backed Military Police as the latter arrested a woman from the clan on charges of dealing with the Islamic State Organization (ISIS).
The clashes, which lasted more than an hour, led to the injury of three civilians at least, including a woman, the sources added.
In October 2019, Turkish forces, with the support of the SNA factions, launched the military operation “Peace Spring” against Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad under the pretext of pushing the fighters of the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) away from the Turkish border with Syria.
In the beginning of October, some areas on the contact lines in northeastern Syria witnessed daily shelling by the Turkish Forces and SNA factions resulting in the killing of two and wounding of 10 others.