In conjunction with the cautious calm in Afrin, losses of the bloody clashes raise to 32, the number of casualties of Shuhada’a al-Sharqiyyah and “Olive Branch” Forces
Aleppo Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the rise in number of people killed as a result of the bloody clashes, that took place in Afrin city on the 18th of November 2018, where the Syrian Observatory monitored the rise in number of fighters of both parties of the clash to 32, they are 14 fighters of Shuhada’a al-Sharqiyyah gathering led by Abu Khawla, and the rest of them are members of “Olive Branch” Operation Factions, and information about casualties in the ranks of the Turkish Forces, who participated strongly in the fight operations and entered the line of clashes supported by heavy machines and armored vehicles, also the clashes and exchange of targeting have wounded tens of people, some of them were seriously injured which may raise the death toll, and information about the death of civilians in the exchange of shelling and the fighting, while the cautious calm still imposes itself on Afrin city, after this bloody fighting, amid anticipation for the entire fighters of Shuhada’a al-Qaryatayn to handover themselves.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published today that Afrin city in the northwestern countryside of Aleppo -which is under the control of the Turkish-backed “Olive Branch” Factions- is witnessing cautious calm, after a bloody day in the city against the backdrop of attacks by the Turkish forces and fighters of the rebel and Islamic factions of the “Olive Branch” Forces, against the faction of Shuhada’a al-Sharqiyyah gathering in the neighborhoods of Mahmudiya and al-Villat in Afrin city, which lasted until after midnight of yesterday, before an agreement was reached by other factions headed by Ahrar al-Sharqiyyah, where the Syrian Observatory learned that the agreement provides for Abu Khawla, the commander-in-Chief of Ahrar al-Sharqiyyah, to hand himself, and the members of Ahrar al-Sharqiyyah to handed over themselves later in the form of batches in the coming hours, and reliable sources told the Syrian Observatory that the attacking factions have entered after midnight of yesterday to sites of Ahrar al-Sharqiyyah gathering, but Abu Khawla was not found until now, amid continuous searches of him, while the factions arrested several fighters of Ahrar al-Sharqiyyah, and in the same context, the Syrian Observatory learned that fighters from Ahrar al-Sharqiyyah are still under the rubble of Turkish shelling and shelling of the factions that targeted the headquarters of Ahrar al-Sharqiyyah faction, and the sources told the Syrian Observatory that several fighters are still alive trapped under the rubble, while the Syrian Observatory published on yesterday evening that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continued violent fighting between Shuhada’a al-Sharqiyyah Gathering on one hand, against the Turkish forces and fighters of the rebel and Islamic factions operating under the banner of the “Olive Branch” forces on the other, in areas in the neighborhoods of Al-Villat and Al-Mahmudiyah in Afrin city, which has been controlled by the Turkish forces and the factions since the 19th of March 2018, and the Syrian Observatory monitored that the violent clashes were accompanied by shelling which targeted headquarters of Shuhada’a al-Sharqiyyah Gathering, and the operation is coincided with the curfew imposed in the area, and information was received about the cessation of clashes for a short time in order to allow the residents of the area where the clashes are taking place, to leave their homes.
The Syrian Observatory monitored that Turkish tanks and heavy vehicles have entered the battle front against Shuhada’a al-Sharqiyyah, where the intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the Turkish forces, and after the failure of the factions in ending the situation with Shuhada’a al-Sharqiyyah Gathering, entered strongly on the clash line and brought armored vehicles and heavy weapons, which the forces used for shelling the headquarters of Shuhada’a al-Sharqiyyah Gathering and their vicinities, and the clashes caused material damage and the break out of fire in several houses in the neighborhoods of Al-Villat and Al-Mahmudiyah, and resulted in the fall of casualties in the ranks of the both parties, where it rose to 25, the number of fighters of the both parties who were killed in this fighting which is the most violent one in 8 months of control of the Turkish forces and the forces of the “Olive Branch” Operation over Afrin city, where the SOHR monitored the death of 14 fighters of Shuhada’a al-Sharqiyyah while the rest are fighters of the attacking factions, amid information about the death of Turkish soldiers in this fighting, the fighting also resulted in the fall of a number of wounded and there is information about civilian casualties.
And the Syrian Observatory published hours ago, that reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the operation aroused the dissatisfaction of the residents and inhabitants of the city, of its original people, displaced people, and those who were resettled there, as a result of the curfew that has been taking place since the evening of Saturday, the 17th of November 2018, and the bloody fighting, where the Turkish Forces and the factions working under their command are working to cancel Shuhada’a al-Sharqiyyah faction, which involved earlier in the clashes alongside the Turkish Forces and the factions during the process of controlling Afrin area, which was launched by Turkish orders on the 20th of January 2018 until the 19th of March 2018, while the heaviest clashes are concentrated in the middle of Afrin city in al-Villat Street and al-Mahmudiya area, following the state of alert and tensions in the city over the last night, while the SOHR received confirmed information about casualties in the ranks of both parties due to these clashes, and the Syrian Observatory published yesterday evening that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored a state of cautious calm and anticipation prevailing Afrin city, which is controlled by the Turkish forces and the factions operating within Operation “Olive Branch”, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights; the Turkish forces ordered to impose a complete curfew over the citizens and military personnel of fighters and members of the factions operating in the city, and the Syrian Observatory monitored that the calm was accompanied by alertness inside the headquarters of the rebel and Islamic factions, along with news about a sweeping and searching campaign by the Turkish special task forces in Afrin city, where there is information about preparations for raiding headquarters of Shuhada’a Al-Sharqiyyah Gathering most of whose fighters are descended from Deir Ezzor province, which handed over its weapons days ago after its objection to the Turkish orders, according to what Abu Khawla -the faction’s commander- declared, amid communication interruption in the city.
Pictures by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, show area of the clashes between Shuhada’a al-Sharqiyyah gathering against the Turkish Forces and factions of the “Olive Branch” operation, in Afrin city in the northwest sector of Aleppo countryside, which killed and injured tens of members of both parties