Turkish artillery bombardment in the Raqqa Governorate of northern Syria resulted in the death of three civilians on Tuesday.
The targeted location was a residence situated in the village of Sherka, near Ayn Issa town in northern Raqqa.
The assault resulted in the deaths of two children, aged 3 and 10, who resided in the targeted house, along with their 60-year-old grandmother. Additionally, injuries were inflicted upon two other children, aged 4 and 12, and their 25-year-old mother.
Haya al-Saleem, 25, the mother who was injured in the attack and experienced the tragic loss of her son, stepdaughter, and mother-in-law, recounted the harrowing experience. She shared, “My house was struck by five shells – four hit close to my house, and the fifth hit the kitchen area directly. The injuries were caused by fragments from the explosive shells.”
The aftermath of the shelling left Haya grappling with heartbreak. She lamented, “My mother-in-law suffered fatal wounds from the fragments and couldn’t survive. My son’s life was tragically cut short as soon as he arrived at the hospital, while my stepdaughter succumbed to her injuries after a period of medical care.”
In response to the attack, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) issued a written statement, denouncing the “appalling massacre” and attributing it to “a series of heinous violations committed by the Turkish occupation army against civilians in the secure regions”.
The SDF called for prompt intervention from the guarantors of the ceasefire agreement, the international community, and human rights organisations to “curb the reprehensible actions of the occupying forces and bring an end to their war crimes”.
Since October 2019, the town of Ayn Issa has been subjected to relentless artillery assaults by Turkish forces and their affiliated armed groups.