AANES: Turkish attacks continue, three injured in drone strike

Turkey has continued with its attacks on AANES on Monday as a centre of the internal security forces in the district of Zirgan (Abu Rasin) was targeted in an airstrike by a Turkish drone in the evening hours, leaving three injured, Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) reported.

Zirgan is about 2 km from the region that is currently under the occupation of the Turkish army and its proxies.

According to the SOHR report, Turkish forces deployed in the areas occupied during Turkey’s invasion in October 2019 (‘Operation Peace Spring’*) and also shelled Al-Hasakah countryside, the vicinity of a Russian base, a power transfer station, and many villages in Tall Tamr and Zirgan.

Houses of civilians in villages including Um Al-Kaif, Arab Khan, Ain Al-Abd, Dada Abdal, Haj Boby, Safa, Um Harmala, Gharbiyah, Nuwayhat, Tall Hermal and Rubay’at Tall Al-Ward were hit.

The Assyrian Military Council spokesperson, Matay Hana said on Monday that Turkey bears the responsibility for the ‘escalation of terrorism’ in AANES, particularly in the al-Hol refugee camp, where tens of thousands of people displaced from areas previously controlled by the Islamic State (ISIS) are living.

Hana said:

“The recent Turkish escalation provides a safe environment for the terrorist cells operating throughout our areas and allows them to move secretly to fulfil their criminal schemes.”

He added:

“Such practices reveal the occupation’s objectives that aim at displacing people of the region and breaking the people’s resistance which was and is still continuing through the resistance of the Assyrian Military Council alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces.”

Hana’s remarks came a day after several villages in the region were targeted by Turkish forces and proxies, and Assyrian Military Council member Orm Marukî was injured in a vehicle that was hit by Turkish drone.

* In ‘Operation Peace Spring’, an area of 4,820 square kilometres with 600 settlements in AANES, including Serê Kaniyê (Ras al-Ayn) and Girê Spî (Tell Abyad), was occupied by Turkish forces and proxies.