Recent developments across Syria
May 21, 2021
Regime-controlled areas
-SOHR sources have reported that residents staged a sit-in protest, yesterday evening, near al-Qous checkpoint in Kanaker town in western Ghouta, demanding regime forces release the detainees. The protestors blocked the main roads to the town by setting fire to rubber tires. On the other hand, Observatory activists have monitored new graffiti left by unknown individuals on the walls of Zakiyah town in western Ghouta, some of which read “no legitimacy for al-Assad or his elections”.
-SOHR sources have reported that Russian fighter jets have executed over 20 airstrikes since early morning, targeting positions where ISIS fighters holed up in the areas of al-Shawla and Jabal al-Bishri in west Deir Ezzor desert. Meanwhile, regime forces and their proxy militias continue combing campaigns in different areas of the Syrian desert, searching for ISIS cells, but such campaigns have achieved nothing.
-A group of members affiliated to the Russian-backed Eighth Brigade stormed a checkpoint for Air-Force Intelligence Service at the eastern entrance of Daraa city where they confiscated the weapons of the checkpoint’s members before they withdrew. This incident took place after the checkpoint’s members attempted to arrest young men from the town of Saida, who had evaded the military service. However, no casualties have been reported. On the other hand, an unknown explosion occurred in the town of al-Sahwa in the eastern countryside of Daraa, near al-Askari checkpoint on the agricultural road al-Sahwa-al-Jiza, but no casualties have been reported.
Aleppo
-Members of the pro-Turkey Sultan Murad faction opened fire on the crowd of protesters, who demonstrated against preventing the entry of the displaced families of Um Batna village in the countryside of al-Quneitra, at the Abu al-Zendin crossing in the countryside of Aleppo. The members of the faction attacked the protesters and a media activist and severely beat them. On the other hand, demonstrators removed the flags of Sultan Murad faction from the top of buses and cars at Abu al-Zendin crossing, expressing their anger. Meanwhile, three civilians sustained various injuries due to this chaos, while pro-Turkey factions brought in military reinforcements to the crossing to disperse the crowds.
-Syrian Observatory sources have reported deployment of hundreds of militiamen of the Turkish-backed “National Army” at Abu al-Zendin crossing in al-Bab countryside in eastern Aleppo, where they prevented demonstrators from reaching the convoy of the displaced families, who have been evacuated from Um Batna village in al-Quneitra countryside, as these families are still stranded between the regime’s checkpoint and the checkpoint of the ” National Army”. Moreover, the National Army’s militiamen have assaulted several demonstrators who attempted to reach to the displaced families. While the convoy is still prevented from entering the factions’ controlled areas, at Turkish intelligence’s orders. SOHR activists had said that tens of residents stormed Abu al-Zendin crossing near al-Bab city in the eastern countryside of Aleppo in order to force the “National Army” to allow the families, who were evacuated from Um Batna village in al-Quneitra countryside, to enter the factions’ controlled areas. It is worth noting that the Turkish intelligence service prevented these families from passing through the crossing under the pretext that “there were no a coordination between Russian and Turkish forces”. A few hours earlier, Syrian Observatory sources confirmed that the Turkish intelligence services continued preventing displaced families who were evacuated from Um Batna village in al-Quneitra countryside from entering areas under the control of the Turkish-backed “National Army” in the eastern countryside of Aleppo. The families are still staying in the open between the regime’s checkpoint and the checkpoint of the “National Army” on the outskirts of al-Bab city under the pretext that “there were no a coordination between Russian and Turkish forces”.
-The pro-Turkey Sultan Suleiman Shah faction issued a statement demanding Turkey hand over Brigadier General Ahmad Rahal to the competent military judiciary of the “National Army”, based on a sentence in absentia issued by the military court of the pro-Turkey factions in Azaz in the “Euphrates Shield” area north of Aleppo. The court sentenced Brigadier General Rahal in absentia to three years in prison for “insulting and demeaning the National Army and defaming Suleiman Shah faction and Abu Amsha, in addition to his appearance on the anti-Syrian revolution channels”. Meanwhile, the pro-Turkey factions accused Brigadier General Rahal of “offending the Syrian revolution and insulting the revolutionaries, ignoring the crimes of the Syrian regime and terrorist organizations”, as they said.
-Members believed to be of the civil police in Afrin have severely beaten a Major officer, who is the spokesman for the “National Army”. Meanwhile, the officer demanded a meeting with the civil police leaders to restore his honor after he was assaulted in front of civilians, wondering how civilians were not affected by those members who dared to attack an officer in the “National Army”. SOHR activists obtained pictures of the officer who was beaten by the civil police, showing bruises and wounds all over his body.
-Syrian Observatory sources informed that three members of the pro-Turkey factions were killed today in clashes with Manbij Military Council Forces, following the attempt by the factions’ members to infiltrate into Manbij Military Council Forces’ positions on the frontlines of the village of al-Jat in the countryside of Manbij, east Aleppo.
-Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activists have monitored clashes between SDF-backed Manbij Military Council Forces and pro-Turkey factions, after an infiltration operation by the factions on the frontlines of the village of Jat in the countryside of Manbij, east of Aleppo. According to SOHR sources, the clashes erupted this afternoon and left casualties among the two sides. On the other hand, the Turkish forces shelled, with mortars, positions of Manbij Military Council in the area.
SDF-held areas
-A young man was killed in his boat while fishing in the Euphrates River, after he was shot by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the outskirts of the city of al-Busairah, during the large-scale security campaign in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. Moreover, SDF arrested about 200 civilians of Arab tribes, and took them to the security center in Taltet al-Busairah, where the detainees were severely kicked and beaten with whips and hands. SDF later released the employees of the Autonomous Administration and kept the rest of detainees. It is worth noting that local sources accused SDF of carrying out a revenge arrest campaign in response to the killing of Kurdish members of Deir Ezzor Military Council Forces.
-Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched a large-scale security campaign, arresting about 25 men in the village of al-Zir in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. On the other hand, SDF members opened fire on a fishing boat in the Euphrates River, wounding a young man before they arrested him and took him to an unknown place. Meanwhile, the fate of the arrested have been unknown.
-SOHR sources have reported that patrols of Syria Democratic Forces have closed shops in al-Shuhayl town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor since early morning, in implementation of the curfew imposed on the town yesterday following attacks which left casualties among “Deir Ezzor Military Council Forces” and other military SDF-backed groups arrived recently in the region.
“Peace Spring” areas
-Syrian Observatory activists have reported seeing tens of residents demonstrating in Ras Al-Ain city (Sere Kaniye) in al-Hasakah countryside, in “Peace Spring” areas, demanding relevant authorities to secure electricity, drinking water and other basic services.
“De-escalation zone”
-SOHR activists have reported that an IED exploded in a military vehicle in Salqin city on the border with Iskenderun in north-western countryside of Idlib. The explosion killed an officer, who had split from regime army and joint the Turkish-backed “National Liberation Front”.
-Young men and children managed to enter the Turkish border post at the border wall, destroying and looting its contents, in response to the Turkish Jandarma’s attacks against the people living near the border wall between Syria and Iskenderun Region. It is worth noting that a child had been injured by a Turkish border guards’ gunshot near al-Karama camps in the town of Atma in the northern countryside of Idlib. A few hours earlier, SOHR activists reported the arrival of military forces of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) at the border wall with Iskenderun Region, north of Idlib, in order to prevent any direct clashes with the Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma”. On the other hand, al-Karamah camps’ residents attacked the Turkish border guards with machineguns and bombs, which resulted in the breakout of fires and injury of several civilians. Meanwhile, the Jandarma opened fire on the people to disperse them. SOHR sources had reported that the Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma” opened fire on a displaced child from Hama countryside, while he was grazing sheep near the border wall near al-Karamah camps in Atma town on the border with the Iskenderun Region. The child sustained various injuries, as several gunshots hit his chest. After the incident, several armed young men, who have been displaced from Hama, attacked the post of the Turkish border guards who opened fire on the child.