The Turkish military has intensified its artillery and aerial attacks across northern Syria, affecting civilian areas and causing a rising number of injuries and fatalities. The escalation, which began on 5 October, has now targeted 172 sites, including residential areas, military posts and key infrastructure such as oil fields and power stations, North Press news agency reported on Monday.
Earlier this week, Turkish artillery targeted areas near the town of Tell Rifaat and the villages of Ain Daqnah and Samoqah, in the countryside north of Aleppo. Over 30 civilians were injured in similar attacks on the towns of Nubl and Zahraa on 7 October. In a separate incident, five women were injured while working in cotton fields near the town of Derbasiyah (Dirbêsiyê) north of Hasakah (Hesekê). Four of the injured women were transferred to the city of Hasakah for treatment, while one remained in Derbasiyah Hospital with a foot fracture.
The Asayish, the internal security forces of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), reported casualties among its members due to a Turkish airstrike in the countryside east of al-Malikiyah (Dêrik). The attacks have resulted in 29 casualties, 18 of whom were killed, including 11 civilians. The exact number of casualties among Asayish members remains unconfirmed but is estimated to be in the dozens.
North Press reports that the Turkish military has conducted 237 strikes since 5 October. These include 157 artillery and heavy weapons strikes, 24 airstrikes and 56 drone strikes. The attacks have targeted a range of sites, including 26 infrastructure sites, 107 residential areas, 11 centres of the Asayish and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), 17 sites of Syrian government forces, six farmlands, three industrial factories, a school and a hospital.
The toll of these attacks has been seen across various cities and surrounding areas, including two sites in Qamushli (Qamişlo), 32 in Hasakah, 37 in the countryside north of Aleppo (Heleb), 13 in al-Malikiyah, 31 in Ain Issa (Eyn Îsa), 19 in Kobani (Kobanê), seven in Manbij (Minbîj) and four in the northern countryside of Raqqa (Reqa).
