“De-escalation zone” in November | 40 people killed, two-thirds civilians…new Turkish deployments after recent withdrawals…security chaos and violations affect Syrian civilians
In light of the tension between the conflicting military forces in the “de-escalation zone”, the rights of Syrian civilians are neglected and lost between the interests of these forces in the country and the unrest and security chaos which threaten and violate human rights in these areas.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has monitored the most prominent scenes of violence and human rights violations in these areas in November 2020 which are as follows:
Nearly 40 people killed in violence and shelling, mostly civilians
The death toll in November 2020 in the “de-escalation zone” rose as a result of the security chaos which included clashes, assassinations, IED attacks and waves of violence and killings. The total death toll in the “de-escalation zone” reached 37, including 24 civilians.
The breakdown of fatalities is as follows:
- 11 civilians, including five children in rocket attack by regime forces in different areas in Idlib province.
- Three men in landmine explosions.
- Three people were killed by HTS.
- Three people in assassinations by unknown gunmen.
- A child in explosion from a shell left over from a previous airstrikes, and a little girl in a booby-trapped motorcycle explosion.
- A man executed by HTS.
- A child was killed with a sharp object by a Uighur child, whose father works as a security official in HTS.
- 13 fighters, six of the opposition and Islamic factions were killed in explosions and assassinations. While seven affiliated with jihadist factions were killed in drone airstrikes.
Russian airstrikes on “Putin-Erdogan” area
Russian jets targeted the “Putin-Erdoğan” area five times in November. The first attack was carried out through 13 raids which targeted Serja, Shenan, Farkia, Benin and Ihssim in Jabal Al-Zawiya, while the second attack has targeted the outskirts of the towns of Benin and Shenan in Jabal al-Zawiya with five raids.
In the third attack Russian fighter jets executed four raids on the western part of Idlib city. While Kabana frontline in Jabal al-Akrad was targeted in the fourth attack. The recent strikes hit the village of Mashon in Jabal al-Zawiya. No civilian casualties have been reported in these strikes, only material losses.
More than 2,000 rocket-propelled grenades and artillery shells despite the ceasefire
In November, regime forces carried out daily bombardment on various parts of the “de-escalation zone”, where the shelling became routine. Regime forces have targeted with more than 2,000 rocket-propelled grenades and artillery shells the southern countryside of Idlib.
Here’s a list of targeted areas:
(1) Magdaliya, (2) Kadura, (3) Ma’arzaf, (4) Mantaf, (5) Serga, (6) Ruiha, (7) Bazapur, (8) Shenan, (9) Ferkiya, (10) Binin, (11) Ma’arian, (12) al-Rami, (13) Maghara, (14) Ihssim, (15) Deir Sunbul, (16) Al-Bara, (17) Abdita, (18) Mashun, (19) Balshoun, (20) Ablin, (21) Al-Bara, (22) Billioon, (23) Joseph, (24) Ma’rata, (25) Arnabeh, (26) Ain Larose, (27) Kansafra, (28) Kafraweid, (29) Al-Fatira, (30) Sofhin, (31) Fleifel, (32) al-Mozra, (33) Qoqfin, (34) Al-Haloubeh, (35) Al-Fatatra in the southern countryside of Idlib, (36) Sarmin, (37) al-Nayrab, (38) Ma’ara Alia, (39) Majaris, (40) Salhia, (41) Afis, (42) Kafraya and (43) the perimeter of Maarat Misrin in eastern and northern Idlib.
In Sahl al-Ghab: (1) Al-Ankawi, (2) Qalydin, (3) Daqmaq, (4)Qastoun, (5) Zizon, (6) Al-Ziyara, (7) Tal Wasit, (8) Mansoura, (9) Khirbet al-Naqous, (10) Al-Mashik and (11) Al-Sermaniyah.
In western Aleppo countryside: (1) Kafr Ta’il, (2) Tadil, (3) Kafr Ama, (4) al-Abzamo, (5) Planta, (6) Habata, (7) Batron, (8) Sheikh Salman, (9) Taqad and (10) Bekdita.
Kabina, Al-Tufahiya, Al-Hadadeh and Tardin in northern countryside of Latakia.
Clashes between rebels and regime forces
The “de-escalation zone” has witnessed a number of clashes and exchange of fire between rebels, including jihadist factions, and regime forces. SOHR sources have reported 14 incidents of clashes and exchange of fire, which took place on frontlines in Jabal al-Zawiya south of Idlib, Kadura and Kafr Batikh near the city of Saraqeb east of Idlib, the 46th regiment in western Aleppo countryside, Jabal al-Turkman in northern Latakia countryside, and Tal al-Burkan near Kabana frontline in Jabal Al-Akrad in north-eastern Latakia countryside.
Turkey’s military movement in the “de-escalation zone”
Turkish forces carried out a number of military moves during November 2020, all of which have been monitored by the Syrian Observatory. Four partial and complete withdrawals have been documented, while five new posts have been established.
SOHR sources reported in early November the complete evacuation of the ninth Turkish observation post in Murek, while the Syrian regime’s flag was raised at the post, more than 10 days after it was dismantled.
On November 8, Turkish forces withdrew from Ma’ar Hatat post on the Aleppo-Damascus international road, south of Idlib.
On November 9, reliable SOHR sources confirmed that the Turkish forces withdrew almost completely from their observation post in Shir Mghar in Jabal Shashaboo, north-western Hama.
On November 26, Turkish forces withdrew from a military post in Al-Sina’a neighbourhood, east of Saraqeb.
On the other hand, five new Turkish posts have been set up in Idlib which are as follows:
- In Deir Sanbel village, south of Idlib.
- Al-Bara town in Jabal al-Zawiya in southern Idlib countryside, overlooking the city of Ma’rat al-Numan and its eastern countryside, south of Idlib.
- The village of Billioon in Jabal al-Zawiya in countryside of southern Idlib.
- Al-Marqab hill, located between the villages of Serjeh and Ruwayha in Jabal al-Zawiya in southern Idlib countryside.
- Badran hill in the town of Kansafra in Jabal al-Zawiya area, south of Idlib.
This brings the number of Turkish posts in the “de-escalation zone” to 73 posts.
Kidnappings and arbitrary arrests continue
On November 8, SOHR sources reported that a group of Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham’s security services arrested the director of “Al-Ma’had Al-Zera’i” refugee camp (the Agricultural Institute camp) in Harem city near the border with Iskenderun region. The camp’s director was arrested after an altercation with the “Emir” (senior commander) of Harem, since the “Emir” accused him of “embezzling funds allocated to displaced people”. It is worth noting that the director was tortured before he was released later following mediation by commanders in HTS and tribes’ elders form the area.
On November 29, HTS arrested a civilian from the city of Sarmin, east of Idlib, for criticizing HTS and its corruption, and was chased and shot dead directly.
Imposing levies and illegal taxes on civilians
The Salvation Government’s General Authority of Zakat has appointed an official in every olive compressors in areas under its control in order to collect “zakat” for the second consecutive year, since residents are forced to give this official an estimated 5% of the oil production. People who refuse to pay are threaten to be arrested by security services or HTS-affiliated police outposts.
Meanwhile, a supervisory body affiliated to Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham monitors the work of those officials and imposes large penalties on the lenient, despite a significant decline in olive crops and oil production this year.
Forcing displaced people to leave their homes and seizure of homes and public property
On November 16, HTS demanded displaced people living in Idlib in homes owned by people living in regime-held areas evacuate their houses in order to house families close to the group.
In this context, HTS has seized a house in the village of Ma’arat Ikhwan, which is owned by a family of Druze community in Jabal al-Sumak area in northern Idlib countryside, and then handed it over to leaders and officials of its members.
While the electricity company of the “Salvation Government” dismantled the transformers from Zardana town in Idlib countryside and transferred them to an unknown destination.
Theft of heritage artifacts and antiquities
HTS and jihadist factions have revived excavations and trade of antiquities and heritage artifacts in Idlib and surroundings areas. The province is witnessing a widespread trade in antiquities, which has increased with the facilities provided by Turkish officers to deal with these antiquities.
Tahrir al-Sham has long been carrying out excavations in search for antiquities on public or private land, forcing their owners to agree on excavation work, selling antiquities through smuggling to Turkey.
In this context, Syrian Observatory sources have reported that Turkish posts and checkpoints have imposed tight security procedures on Turkish and Syrian officers by taking pictures of them, raising the number of surveillance cameras, monitoring the processes of changing shifts and checking Turkish vehicles carefully before leaving Syria. This development comes in the wake of the arrest of a Turkish officer in Al-Mastumah post, as he was found involved in smuggling antiques and artifacts from Syria to Turkey in military vehicles carrying officers and guards escorting the Turkish columns.
According to SOHR sources, several Turkish officers in Idlib province are trading in Syria’s antiquities for “the benefit of unknown bodies”. Moreover, Turkish officers offer attractive prices which meet the expectations of excavators and diggers.
Tragic conditions in displacement camps
Camps in north-western Syria are experiencing great difficulties, particularly in winter, where mud and pools of water are spreading inside the camps and on roads between tents and camps.
The inhabitants of the camps in north-western Syria suffer from the dusty ground on which their tents have been set up, while the camps lack basic services such as drinking water, sanitation, relief materials and educational and health facilities.
The Syrian Observatory has monitored the tragic situation of a camp housing displaced people from the eastern countryside of Ma’rat al-Numan, which is located west of the town of Ma’rat Misrin near the town of Batanta, north of Idlib city. The camp is home to nearly 2,000 people scattered in 450 tents, which do not protect the inhabitants from the winter cold.
The same for Harbanoush camp in northern Idlib, Telmanas camp west of Kfarya village in northeastern Idlib countryside, as well as makeshift camps housing displaced people in the village of Deir Hassan near the Syrian border with Iskenderun region, north of Idlib.
Restricting civilians’ movement at crossings
People’s suffering continues regarding their movement to and from areas held by HTS which controls Idlib and areas of its countryside and parts of Aleppo countryside, and areas held by Turkish forces and proxy factions in the northern and eastern Aleppo countryside.
The dominant forces continue to restrict the movement and travel of civilians, forcing them to wait for hours without clear reasons, as this simply depends on the mood and whims of the checkpoints’ members between the areas held by the two sides: Deir Balout checkpoint for civilians north of Idlib, and the Gazawiya commercial checkpoint in north-western Aleppo countryside.
According to SOHR sources, residents are suffering from the division of the crossing into commercial and civilian by the factions, where Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Turkish-backed factions at the Deir Balout crossing in northern Idlib prevent the crossing of any goods, no matter how small, allowing goods to cross only via Al-Gazawiya crossing in north-western Aleppo countryside. Where high fees of 250 Turkish liras are being imposed at the crossings to register the car.
As violations of all kinds continue to increase in the “de-escalation zone”, it is necessary to put an end to these violations committed against the Syrian people, their lands and their wealth.
This portends humanitarian crises that threaten the country not only now but in the future. Therefore, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights calls for an end to these violations and crimes.