Rural residents of Aleppo (Heleb) Governorate in northern Syria voiced their outrage on Sunday as they gathered in protest outside a Russian base, denouncing Turkish airstrikes of the previous day that led to deaths and injuries.
Turkish drone strikes in northern Aleppo claimed the lives of three fighters from the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and left two others wounded on Saturday.
The protesters, positioned outside the Russian base, displayed signs with the messages, “Russian guarantor betrays the people of Afrin again” and “Russia’s silence in the face of our being killed is shameful. Turkey is killing us, and Damascus is besieging us. No to Russian-Turkish agreements at the expense of Syrian blood!”
Representatives from the local autonomous authorities and Arab tribes formed a delegation to enter the Russian base and deliver a protest message. Their primary demand was for Russia to impose a no-fly zone in the area and safeguard residents from further Turkish shelling.
A local source, speaking to North Press Agency, said that the delegation had urged the Russians to send their forces into immediate action to protect the area, expressing concern over the ongoing attacks. In response, the Russians argued that their forces had been unaware of the recent airstrikes, but assured the delegation of their commitment to safeguarding the region.
The villages and towns in the northern Aleppo have been repeatedly targeted by Turkish shelling and drone strikes since the Turkish forces, accompanied by factions of the Syrian National Army, took control of the Afrin (Efrîn) region in March 2018.