Footage reportedly showing Turkish soldiers setting fire to fields in Qamishli (Qamişlo), North and East Syria, has surfaced, escalating concerns over Turkish military actions in the region. Scharo Maroof of Kurdistan Monitor shared the footage on Friday, alleging that Turkish soldiers threw incendiary bombs across the border wall at the Syria-Turkey border.
A detailed report by Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ) provides a comprehensive account of Turkish airstrikes in Kurdish-led northeast Syria, emphasising their devastating impact on civilian infrastructure and populations. The report documents three major air campaigns conducted by Turkey in the last quarter of 2023 and January 2024. These strikes targeted vital civilian infrastructure, including power transfer stations, oil and gas facilities, healthcare centres and residential areas.
The first campaign, from 5 to 10 October 2023, involved nearly 90 airstrikes, targeting over 150 sites and resulting in at least 48 deaths and 47 injuries. The second campaign, from 25 to 26 December 2023, destroyed nearly 50 facilities, causing at least nine civilian deaths and 18 injuries. The third campaign, from 12 to 15 January 2024, targeted 64 locations, causing significant infrastructure damage and six civilian injuries.
These airstrikes led to mass displacement, with many residents fleeing the affected areas. The destruction of infrastructure worsened living conditions, particularly impacting children and other vulnerable populations. The targeting of healthcare and energy facilities severely disrupted essential services, the report highlighted.
The STJ report argues that these attacks violate international humanitarian law (IHL), particularly the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution. The destruction of civilian infrastructure critical to the population’s survival constitutes a breach of IHL and could be classified as war crimes. The report calls for condemnation by the United Nations and the Security Council, urging renegotiation of ceasefire terms to include airstrikes and closure of airspace to Turkish military aircraft.
Additionally, the report recommends international support for rebuilding infrastructure and holding Turkish officials accountable for the attacks. It also highlights the need for producers and supply networks to observe due diligence in preventing their products from being used in these airstrikes. The investigation involved collecting 21 testimonies from victims, survivors and eyewitnesses, reviewing videos and images, and analysing reports from other rights groups, with interviews being conducted in safe and private locations to protect the identities of the sources.
