The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

A massacre south of Al-Hasakah claims the lives of 14 persons at least by airstrikes on the ISIS-controlled enclave

Al-Hasaka Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: explosions shook dawn of Tuesday, the 1st of May 2018 areas in the countryside of Al-Hasakah, caused by bombardment by warplanes (which have not been known whether they belong to the Iraqi Air Force or to the International Coalition), the airstrikes targeted al-Qasr village, where Iraqi refugees and displaced persons from the countryside of Deir Ezzor are located, in the southern countryside of Al-Hasaka province, and which is controlled by the “Islamic State” Organization, and the Syrian Observatory documented the death of 14 persons in the massacre that was carried out in the village including 5 children and 4 citizens, and the death toll is expected to rise because there are some people in critical situation.

The Syrian Observatory published over the past few days that the eastern and northern countryside of Deir Ezzor and the southern countryside of Al-Hasakah, are witnessing alertness by the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition, in conjunction with air alertness witnessed in the area east of the Euphrates River, as a part of preparations by them for starting a massive military operation aims to end the presence of the “Islamic State” organization in the entire east of the Euphrates River, where the presence of the organization is concentrated in an enclave that includes 4 villages and towns on the eastern banks of the Euphrates River which are Al-Bahra, Hajin, Abu al-Hassan, Sha’afah, Al-Baghuz, and the organization is also presented in the part in the north-eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, which is connected with the southern countryside of Al-Hasakah which still include 22 villages and areas including Tal Al-Jaber, Tal al-Mnakh, Om Haffur, al-Rimat, Fakkah al-Tarraf, Fakkah al-Shwaykh, al-Hessu, al-Bawardi, al-Dshishiyah, Bajari Desert adjacent al-Suwar Desert which includes the administrative borders between Deir Ezzor and Al-Hasakah.

Reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that this alertness is coincided with bringing military reinforcements from Al-Omar Oilfield and other areas controlled by the SDF, to the fronts with the organization, of vehicles, materiel, equipment, ammunition and fighters, amid the flight of reconnaissance planes and the International Coalition’s warplanes over the area, and their targeting from time to time to the  controlled areas of the organization and its positions and arsenals, while the eastern banks of the Euphrates River are witnessing rounds of fighting from time to time, between the Syria Democratic Forces supported by the International Coalition against the “Islamic State” organization, and the sources confirmed to the SOHR that the military operation will be launched in the next 48 hours to end the presence of the organization completely in the area.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published two days ago that intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights the death of 5 citizens at least, as a result of bombardment by warplanes believed to be affiliated to the International Coalition, targeting al-Sarajiyah area in the southern countryside of al-Hasakah province, where the warplanes targeted during the last night, the 18th of April 2018, while the number of casualties may increase because of the presence of serious injuries, and there is information about other casualties, of who were killed in the same bombardment.

It is noteworthy that an enclave of the “Islamic State” organization is still exist in the southern countryside of al-Hasakah, linked to the far northern countryside of Deir Ezzor province, and they are adjacent and open to each other, where ISIS and its members were confined in these two areas, after large military operations by the Syria Democratic Forces during which they controlled large spaces in the east of the Euphrates and in the southern countryside of al-Hasakah, with the support of the International Coalition.