Alarming escalation | Eight children among 30 Syrian civilians killed by Turkish Jandarma since early 2021

On Oct 12, 2021

As Turkish Border Guard Forces (Jandarma) continue killing Syrian civilians attempting to flee from the military operations in Syria, SOHR has documented the death of 30 Syrian civilians, including a woman and eight children, who were shot dead and tortured to death by the Turkish Jandama in Idlib and al-Hasakah since early 2021. Further details on circumstances of the death of Syrian civilians by Turkish Jandarma in Syria in 2021 could be summarised as follows:

On October 10, a child from Qanat al-Suwees neighbourhood in al-Qamishli city died of the wounds he had, after being beaten brutally by the Turkish Jandarma nearly a month earlier, as he was attempting to cross into Turkey from al-Aziziyyah village in Ras al-Ain city (Sere Kaniye) in northern al-Hasakah. According to SOHR sources, the child died of his sever injuries in the intensive care unit in a Turkish hospital.

On September 29, Turkish Border Guard Forces “Jandarma” threw the body of a child on the Syria-Turkey border strip, opposite Arada village in Abu Raseen (Zarkan) district in al-Hasakah countryside. The child died under torture by the Turkish Jandarma which arrested him, while he was attempting to cross into the Turkish territory, as there were marks of brutal torture on the child’s body.

On September 24, a young man from Namer town in Daraa province died affected by the injury he had when he was shot by the Turkish Jandarma, while he was attempting to cross into Turkey from north Idlib countryside. The man had been taken to al-Rayhaneya hospital in Iskenderun region “Hatai”, before he died of his injuries.

On September 23, a young man from “al-Na’eem” tribe in al-Hasakah province died affected by the injury he had on September 20, when he was shot by the Turkish Jandarma, while he was attempting to cross into Turkey from Ras al-Ain countryside (Sri Kaniye).

On September 18, two men, one was from Buqrus and the other was from al-Shamiteya in Deir Ezzor province, were shot dead by the Turkish Border Guard Forces, while attempting to sneak into Turkish territory from north-east Syria

On August 31, SOHR activists documented the death of a displaced young man from Om Sahlij village in Ma’arat al-Noa’man city, after he was shot dead by the Turkish Border Guards Forces (Jandaram), while he was attempting to cross with other four persons into Turkish territory from north Idlib countryside.

On August 30, SOHR activists documented the death of a civilian from al-Qamishly city, after being tortured brutally by Turkish Jandarma and dumped on the Turkey-Syria border between al-Qamisly and al-Qahtanyah cities. The young man was found on August 29 and his health condition was serious. The man was taken to a hospital in al-Qamishly city, but he died on the following day affected by his injuries.

On August 22, SOHR activists documented the death of a civilian from Markada town in al-Hasakah countryside, as he was shot by the Turkish-Border Guard Forces (Jardarma) in Turkish territory, just after crossing the border strip from Otayshan village.

On the same day, August 22, SOHR activists documented the death of a child from al-Jabin village in the northern countryside of Hama in gunfire by Turkish Jandarma with live bullets on al-Ali camp in Atama town in Idlib countryside.

On August 19, SOHR activists documented the death of a civilian from the border village of al-Zouf in the western countryside of Idlib, after being shot by Turkish Border Guard Forces “Jandarma”, while he was attempting to cross into the Turkish territory.

On August 4, SOHR activists documented the death of a young man from Maarrat Harma village in Idlib countryside, after being shot by Turkish Janderma while he was attempting to cross into Turkey from the northern countryside of Idlib.

On July 18, SOHR activists reported death of a child, after being shot by the Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma”, while he was attempting to cross into Turkey from Idlib countryside.

On June 25, SOHR activists documented the death of a young man from Deir Hafer town, after being shot by the Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma”, while he was attempting to cross into Turkey from Harem city in the north-western countryside of Idlib.

On June 7, SOHR activists documented the death of a young man from al-Zarzour village in Jesr al-Shughur in the western countryside of Idlib, while he was trying to sneak into Turkey from west Idlib countryside near the Syria border with Iskenderun

On May 31, a Syrian young man died after being beaten brutally by the Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma”, near the Syria border with Iskenderun region, while he was attempting to cross into Turkey through crossings used for smuggling in western Salqeen. After he was beaten, the young man was left near al-Alany crossing in western Salqeen, and he was taken later to the hospital before he died.

On May 7, a civilian was killed in al-Hafriyah village, north of Darkush, after being shot by the Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma”, while he was fishing on the bank of al-Asi River.

On April 29, SOHR activists in Jisr al-Shughur documented the death of an old man from al-Zouf village on the Syria border with Iskenderun region, as he was shot by the Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma”, while he was working in his land in the village.

On April 24, SOHR activists documented the death of a young man from Jisr al-Shughour countryside, after being shot by Turkish border guard forces, as he was attempting to cross into Turkish territory from the northern countryside of Idlib.

On April 22, Observatory activists documented the death of a woman, after being shot by Turkish border guard forces near the border strip in Idlib countryside. According to the sources, the woman was working for a daily wage on agricultural land near the border wall, when she was shot by the Turkish Jandarma. It is worth noting that the victim lived with her family in al-Karama gathering camps near the town of Qah, north of Idlib.

On the same day, April 22, a young man from the city of al-Raqqah died affected by his injures, after he was arrested by the Turkish border guards “Jandarma”, as he went missing on April 17 while attempting to cross the Syria-Turkey border from Tal Abyad area, north of al-Raqqah. According to the report of the forensic doctor at Tal Abyad Hospital, the young man was brutally beaten and hit on the head with a sharp tool which caused his death.

On April 20, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of a young man from the village of Bzapour in Jabal al-Zawiyah, after being shot by Turkish border guard forces as he tried to cross into Turkey from Idlib countryside.

On March 19, SOHR activists documented the death of a young man from Al-Bab area, after being shot by the Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma” while he was attempting to cross into Turkey in the northern countryside of Aleppo.

On March 10, a child was killed after being shot by Turkish border guard forces, as he tried to cross with his family from the area of Arrada in Abu Rasin countryside in Al-Hasakah countryside.

On March 9, SOHR activists documented the death of a young man after being shot by the Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma”, while he was attempting to cross into the Turkish territory in Darkoush city on the border with Iskenderun region in the north-western countryside of Idlib.

On March 4, a child was shot dead by the Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma”, while he was in front of his house in Al-Madlousah village in Salqin countryside in north-western Idlib on the border with Iskenderun

On February 12, SOHR activists documented the death of a child after being shot by the Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma”, while he was working with his grandfather in a farmland in Salhab village in Jisr Al-Shughour countryside in north-western Idlib, nearly 500 metres away from the border wall.

On February 4, a child was killed after being shot by Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma”, as he tried to enter Turkish territory from Hilt area in Harem district at the Syria border with Iskenderun region in Idlib countryside.

On January 27, a young man was shot dead by Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma”, as he was attempting to enter Turkish territory near the Syria-Turkey border, from al-Hamboushia area in the western countryside of Jisr al-Shughour.

On January 14, SOHR activists documented the death of a young man, after being shot by Turkish border guard forces “Jandarma”, while he was trying to enter Turkish territory from Harem area at the Syrian border with the Iskenderun region in Idlib countryside.

According to Syrian Observatory statistics, the number of Syrian civilians who have been killed by the Turkish Jandarma since the beginning of the Syrian Revolution, has risen to 489 including 90 children under the age of eighteen and 45 females over the age of eighteen.