The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

As information spread about a planned Turkish military operation east Euphrates, unidentified gunmen launch a rocket shell from Ras al-Ayn city towards a Turkish village

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that unknown gunmen launched a rocket shell on Monday evening from Ras al-Ayn (Sri Kaneh) city in the countryside of al-Hasaka province; towards the opposite Turkish territory at the border between both parties, but it is not even known the identity of those who launched it and its purpose, in the light of the cautious calm and the information about a planned military operation Turkey may launch, and Syrian Observatory published on the 19th of July 2019 that a reas located on the Syrian – Turkish border within the east Euphrates area are witnessing relative calm, amid Turkish reinforcements and mobilizations on the Turkish side through bringing tanks to the border strip areas such as Tal Abyad, Ras Al Ain and Ayn al-Arab (Kobani), while the sky of the area is witnessing daily flight of reconnaissance drones for the U.S. Forces, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 13th of July 2019, that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned from reliable sources that the Turkish Intelligence intends to hold training courses for Syrian fighters loyal to Turkey on the Turkish territory, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights; the Turkish Intelligence asked factions operating within “Olive Branch and Euphrates Shield” to be prepared and get their fighters ready for starting 20-day training courses in camps on the Turkish territory, and the training includes the development of using developed and anti-tank weapons, and the Turkish Intelligence insisted on the necessity of the presence of the old fighters who have undergone previous courses whether on the Turkish territory during earlier operations such as “Olive Branch and Euphrates Shield”, or fighters who have undergone courses that held at that time, in Arab countries such as the preparations for battles against the regime forces, and Turkey had trained hundreds of members of the police and security services in the areas of the “Olive Branch and Euphrates Shield”, inside its camps, and graduated several batches affiliated to the police bodies, while these preparations apparently come as a Turkish preparation for carrying out a new military operation inside the Syrian territory, and as usual, the aim is the controlled areas of the Syria Democratic Forces and this time it (the military operation) will be in the Euphrates and Al-Jazeera.

The Syrian Observatory published on the 1st of January 2019, that reliable Egyptian sources and reliable sources of the Syria Democratic Forces denied the information published in Arab and regional media, about an Egyptian-Gulf role in the east of Euphrates crisis and, and the threats in the area of a Turkish military operation that has been talked about for weeks, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: reliable Egyptian sources and reliable sources from the Syria Democratic Forces confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that what was published in the Qatari and Turkish media -quoting Israeli media- is completely false, and that there are no steps towards what the media mentioned, as the media reported that Egyptian officers and other Emiratis officers have visited Manbij city and conducted a reconnaissance tour in the area; in a prelude to deploying Egyptian-Emirati forces in the area with an American air cover, replacing the US Forces, for whom the US President issued on the 19th of December 2018 the decision to withdraw them from the area, and that the presence of these forces will pave the way for a wider Arab military presence in terms of the presence of other Gulf countries, such as the Saudi Arabia, to confront the Iranian presence.

These published reports came in conjunction with the visit of the Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar to the Syrian territory, within the areas controlled by the Turkish forces in the Syrian north, where Akar visited the so-called shrine of Sulaiman Shah and inspected the Turkish forces operating in the area. Sources from the leadership of the Syria Democratic Forces confirmed that they strongly welcome the Egyptian role in preventing the Turkish invasion of the east Euphrates area and the Syrian north, where the area controlled by Syria Democratic Forces, and discuss a solution to manage the north-east of Syria.

The Syrian Observatory monitored that the US Forces continue patrolling within the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and Manbij area, while the Syrian Observatory monitored yesterday that the regime forces, who were deployed last Friday on the contact lines in the northern and western countryside of Manbij, between the forces of Manbij Military Council and Jaysh al-Thowwar on one hand, and between the Turkish forces and the Syrian factions loyal to them on the other, have completed their withdrawal from the northern and north-western areas of Manbij countryside, where they are now only present in the western countryside of Manbij specifically in Arima area and other areas to its west and north-west, so that there will be no frictions between them (the regime forces) and between the American patrols in the area, which are still conducting patrols in Manbij countryside, despite the Turkish threats of carrying out a military operation in the area.

the SOHR also published on the 20th of November 2018, that the Turkish authorities are supervising on forming sleeper cells that active within areas of control of the Syria Democratic Forces east of Euphrates, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: the Turkish authorities are forming cells under the supervision of their intelligence, composed mostly from people of al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor provinces, and oversees their training in secret training camps within areas of control of the Euphrates Shield Operation Forces, in Afrin area and in the northern countryside of Aleppo, where they are trained on the bombings and assassinations and carrying them out in a precise and fast manner. The sources confirmed that the process of forming the cells and sending them to areas east of Euphrates; come as the Turkish intelligence service exploiting the personal cards of Syrians known as “Kimlik”, which are being delivered by the Syrian citizens when leaving the Turkish territory towards any neighboring country, where cards of Syrian citizens are being used and these cells are sent to areas controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces east of Euphrates.

Reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that tens of thousands of Syrians who have left Turkey in recent months and years; their personal cards which were issued in Turkey have been kept and deposited with the Turkish records, while they are being used to pass these cells under the pretext of visiting their relatives, while these cells work to carry out assassinations against leading, political, and military personalities in addition to trying to create a rift between components of the society within the east of Euphrates area, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 30th of October 2018, that the Turkish authorities and intelligence failed in creating a clannish sedition in Al-Raqqah countryside, one of their attempts was represented by the try of 8 persons of Al-Hanadi Clan, to create a sedition between this clan and between Al-Boassaf Clan, through kidnapping one of the members of the latter clan, beating and insulting him, in the name of “Al-Hanadi Clan”, in Al-Buz area in Tal Abyad countryside, then the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish) arrested and investigated them, where reliable sources confirmed that they confessed that they were propelled by Turkey to create a clannish sedition, in an attempt to create a state of disorder in the area, along with the Turkish preparations for a military operation against the area of the east of the Euphrates, which is controlled by the SDF, and the video that shows the young men torturing the man of Al-Boassaf Clan who they kidnapped, became widespread, but the intervene of nobles and dignitaries as well as the Kurdish Internal Security Forces between the both clans, clarified the points of view between them, and prevented a clannish fighting that the members of the sleeper cells aimed to ignite between the clans.