Turkish airstrikes on North and East Syria have disabled essential infrastructure across Jazira (Cizire) Canton, leaving over 30 critical facilities out of service, while multiple attacks on Sinjar (Şengal) have led to further casualties and damage. Turkish attacks began on 23 October with the deployment of fighter jets, drones and artillery to strike populated areas, power and water stations, healthcare centres and food storage sites.
Turkish airstrikes in Syria, Iraq enter third day, raising civilian toll
In Jazira Canton, Turkish forces reportedly targeted critical infrastructure, including health centres, schools, bakeries and fuel stations, significantly impacting civilians’ access to essential services. Specific areas such as Sweida’s (Siwêdiyê) electricity and gas stations and Tal Adas’ (Ger Zîro) oil station have sustained severe damage, while facilities like wheat silos and water resources in Ayn al-Arab (Kobanî), Rmelan (Rimelan) and Qamishli (Qamişlo) are also offline.
Turkey’s targeted airstrike on an electricity station in Ayn al-Arab has left the city centre and 366 surrounding villages without power, disrupting essential services and impacting daily life. Ayşe Nasir, co-chair of the Euphrates Region Energy Council, stated that due to the ongoing attacks, damage assessment teams cannot access the affected areas to evaluate the full extent of the destruction. The power outage has also halted operations at critical water stations, worsening the humanitarian situation across the region.
In Sinjar, a separate round of airstrikes on 23 October struck residential and public areas, resulting in casualties among local security forces and civilians. Rights groups report that Sinjar’s autonomous administration, which emerged as a sanctuary for the Yazidi community following ISIS attacks, now faces destabilisation risks.
Meanwhile, critics, including local journalist İbrahim Êzidî, have accused the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) of cooperating with Turkey to destabilise Sinjar’s autonomous administration, suggesting that KDP’s alliance with Ankara undermines Yazidi self-governance efforts in the region.
