30 hours of “Peace Spring”: about 70000 displaced citizens…11 villages go to the grip of Turkey and its loyal factions…10 civilian casualties as well as 46 casualties of the SDF and the factions
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights:: 30 hours have passed since the Turkish forces and the armed factions loyal to them launched their operations in the north and east of Syria under the cloak of what they call Operation “Peace Spring” , during which the border area between Syria and Iraq witnessed violent clashes between the Turkish forces and their loyal factions on one hand, and the Syria Democratic Forces and the military councils affiliated to them on the other, which resulted in the fall of casualties and injuries in the ranks of the both parties, in addition to taking the control of a number of villages by the Turkish forces, amid fierce clashes between the both parties, and round the recent hours, the SOHR monitored what happened in all front of the battles, in addition to what happened in the Syrian interior of displacement movements and the fall of casualties due to the Turkish indiscriminate shells that targeted citizens throughout Syrian North.
Civilian casualties and thousands of displaced people…the Turkish military operation threatens of a new humanitarian disaster
Since early morning of Wednesday, the 9th of October 2019, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored displacement of citizens from different areas in the area of east Euphrates, and according to the statistics of the SOHR; the number of displaced people has exceeded 70000 citizens who have displaced from their villages, towns and cities, for fear of being victims of the Turkish military operations, and according what sources of the SOHR on the ground monitored; both cities of Darbasiyyeh and Ras Al-Ayn became almost empty of population.
The repercussions of the Turkish military operation which is called “Peace Spring”, do not stop at pushing citizens to displace, but it led to the fall of casualties and injuries among citizens due to the indiscriminate shells launched by the Turkish forces on different areas and according to what the SOHR documented; a child girl was killed due to the Turkish shells, while another child girl and a citizen woman were injured due to the Turkish shells which fell on Qaddour Bek neighborhood in Al-Qamishli city, while areas in Al-Hilaliyyeh neighborhood in the western part of the city came under Turkish rocket shelling, and the number of casualties who were killed in the shelling and the Turkish targeting since the beginning of the operation “Peace Spring”, has increased to 10 casualties, 2 officials of the “Autonomous Administrations” were killed in the shelling which targeted Matkalt village in the countryside of Tal Abyad area in the northern countryside of Al-Raqqah, a man and a citizen woman of the Syriac component were killed by shelling by the Turkish forces in Bashiriyya neighborhood in Al-Qamishli city, a child girl was killed in shelling that targeted Al-Qahtaniyyeh countryside, and a man was killed in shelling on the vicinity of Tal Abyad, and another one was killed in the shelling which targeted the vicinity and countryside of Ras Al-Ayn area in Al-Hasakah countryside, a man was killed after being targeted by a sniper of the Turkish forces in Al-Darbasiyyeh city, the number of casualties may increase because of the presence of injuries some of whom have seriously wounded.
At the same time, the Syrian Observatory monitored Turkish aerial bombardment targeting the entrance of Tal Abyad city from the province of Al-Raqqah, in conjunction with the passing of vehicles carrying the tribal and civil delegations coming from Al-Raqqah to Tal Abyad to join the sit-in of “Khaymat Al-Doro’ Al-Bashariyyah” ((the Tent of Human Shields)) in condemnation of the Turkish military operation on the area, which left casualties among the people of the convoy, and reliable sources confirmed to the SOHR that the Turkish forces targeted the square where the sit-in was being held by shells, which left injuries of the protestors, the SOHR also documented the death of a person and the injury of at least 7 others, due to rocket shelling carried out by the forces of Jarabulus Military Council on Jarabulus city and its vicinity in the north-eastern countryside of Aleppo.
11 villages go to the grip of Turkey, aerial and ground shelling and clashes…fierce battles between the SDF against the Turkish forces and factions loyal to them
Round nearly one day and half, the Syrian Observatory monitored the advancement of the Turkish forces and factions loyal to them under aerial and grounf heavy firepower, in 11 villages in the areas of Tal Abyad and Ras Al-Ayn, where the Turkish forces imposed their control over the villages of Tababin, Al-Mishrifah, Al-Yabisah, Tal Finder, Be’er Aashiq, which have been controlled with the help of sleeper cells in the village according to reliable sources, in addition to imposing control over the Farm of Al-Masihi, Hemaydah and Al-Muhaydah in the vicinity of Tal Abyad, in addition to the villages of Kashtu, Allouk and Aqsas in the area of Ras Al-Ayn, according to the sources of the SOHR which added that the fierce clashes between the Syria Democratic Forces against the Turkish forces and their loyal factions, shifted to the outskirts of Tal Abyad city at the border strip with Turkey within the province of Al-Raqqah, adding that the fierce clashes are still continuing inside Ras Al-Ayn city and its outskirts, between the Syria Democratic Forces on one hand against the Turkish forces and local gunmen on the other, and according to the sources; the local gunmen were imprisoned in the custody of the SDF on charge of “communication with Turkey and espionage for the Islamic State organization” before the SDF set them free.
And in the village of “Um Al-Khair” which is located in the south of Ras Al-Ayn, the Syrian Observatory monitored fierce clashes between the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) against the armed cells loyal to Turkey, where the clashes lasted for hours during which the road between Ras Al-Ayn and Al-Hasakah were cut off, and the clashes resulted in the killing of 9 members of the cells, in addition to capturing others, while 3 members of the Asayish were killed in the same clashes, meanwhile, the Turkish artillery shelled the outskirts of “Ayan Diwar” village in the countryside of Al-Malikiyah city amid heavy overflight of Turkish aircraft over the area, while sporadic and exchange of targeting took place between the SDF and the Turkish forces in the area of Ayan Diwar.
At the same time, the Syrian Observatory monitored fierce clashes in areas in the outskirts of Al-Derbasiyyeh city in Al-Hasakah countryside, as a result of an attack carried out by the Turkish forces and factions loyal to them, in an attempt to storm the city, amid heavy and violent shelling on areas in the vicinity of Al-Zuhairiyyah and Jamm Sharaf villages in the countryside of Al-Malikiyah, the SDF also managed to down a reconnaissance plane in the skies of Qasr Dib area in the countryside of Al-Malikiyah, and the SOHR monitored fierce clashes on areas in the countryside of Manbij city north-east of Aleppo, between the pro-Turkey factions against Manbij Military Council, accompanied by exchange of targeting and shelling, amid information about the fall of human losses in the ranks of the both parties.
The SOHR learned from reliable sources that local gunmen loyal to Ankara, attacked Ras Al-Ayn city in the north-western countryside of Al-Hasakah today afternoon, where the attack was carried out from 3 sides starting from the villages which these gunmen belong to, they are: the area of Tal Halaf and Al-Sena’a, the area of Al-Darbasiyyeh, and the area of Al-Hasakah – Ras Al-Ayn Road, where fierce clashes erupted between the both parties inside the neighborhoods of the city, amid intense shelling, which resulted in the killing of a number of members of the SDF.
While the number of casualties in the ranks of the Syria Democratic Forces, the military councils and the Internal Security Forces who were killed due to Turkish aerial and ground bombardment as well as clashes against the Turkish forces and their loyal factions since the start of the Turkish military operation yesterday afternoon rose to 29, while the number of casualties of the Syrian factions which are loyal to Ankara and the casualties of the pro-Turkey cells who were killed in targeting and clashes against the SDF during the same period, increased to 17, but the number of casualties is expected to increase because of the presence of tens of injuries, some of them have seriously wounded.
And according what the Syrian Observatory documented through its different sources; 4 members of the Syria Democratic Forces were killed in targeting by Turkish warplanes to the 93rd Brigade in Ayn Issa area, while the SOHR documented the death and injury of a several member of the SDF due to airstrikes carried out by the Turkish warplanes on their positions in Al-Sena’a area in Ras Al-Ayn, while factions loyal to Ankara managed to cut off Ras Al-Ayn – Al-Darbasiyyeh Road exploiting the clashes which erupted in Al-Sena’a area, and as a result of the fierce clashes, the SOHR learned that Deir Ezzor Military Council sent military reinforcements to the Turkish – Syrian border to repel the Turkish attacks, while Al-Hool Military Council declared that it sent forces to the border to back up the SDF and the rest military councils there.