“Euphrates Shield” areas in October 2021 | Nine people killed in explosions, rivalries and attacks, while crises and violations ignite considerable popular resentment
Since Turkish forces and their proxy factions captured several areas in Aleppo after a military operation known as “Euphrates Shield”, humanitarian crises have been emerging and worsening gradually, with violations, attacks and explosions occur almost daily. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has monitored and tracked October’s prominent developments in these areas, which could be summarised in the following main points:
Human casualties: figures and details
In October, SOHR activists documented the death of nine people in “Euphrates Shield” areas. The fatalities breakdown was as follows:
- A man was killed in clashes with members of the “National Army”, during an attempt to arrest him in the wake of a security campaign against “drug dealers” in Azaz city.
- A young man from al-Bokamal died of the wounds he sustained in clashes in al-Bab city centre between gunmen from al-Bab city and gunmen from al-Bokamal in Deir Ezzor.
- A Turkish soldier was killed in in an attack by Kurdish forces on a Turkish military base in al-Twees area near Mare’ in the northern countryside of Aleppo.
- A man, a woman and a child were killed in an explosion believed to be caused by the explosion of ammunition in the headquarters of a commander in Sultan Murad Division in al-Dabes village in Jarabulus countryside.
- A displaced child from al-Quriyyah in Deir Ezzor died of the wounds he had in the explosion of a motorcycle-bomb in Jarabulus city in the eastern countryside on September 28.
- A drug dealer was killed in clashes with the factions near al-Amarnah village in Jarabulus countryside.
- A member of Shamr Tribe Council was killed by the brother of the Turkish-backed al-Hamza Division’s leader in Baza’a town, the major stronghold of al-Hamza Division in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.
In October 2021, “Euphrates Shield” areas experienced two fights, as the first one was on October 2 when fierce clashes erupted between al-Mujadamah tribe affiliated to “Ahrar al-Sham Islamic Movement” and al-Shamar tribe in al-Tafri’a and al-Sukariyyah villages in areas under the control of Turkish forces and their proxy factions in al-Bab countryside in eastern Aleppo. The clashes erupted following disagreements between the two sides over the routes used for smuggling to regime-held areas.
The second fight was on October 16, as violent clashes erupted between Liwaa al-Shamal and al-Jabha al-Shamiyah in al-Balikha village in the countryside of Akhtrin city in the northern countryside of Aleppo. According to SOHR sources, members of Liwaa al-Shamal attempted to storm the house of a member of al-Jabha al-Shamiyah which evolved to violent clashes with heavy and medium weapons between both factions.
Attacks and explosion
SOHR activists documented only one explosion on October 12, caused by detonating an IED planted in a car belonging to an official in the volunteering relief team of “Mulhem” in al-Bab city in eastern Aleppo.
On October 2, seven factions of the Turkish-backed National Army announced the formation of “Tha’eroun Movement” under the leadership of “Azm” unified operations room in the areas under the control of Turkish forces and the factions of the National Army in Aleppo countryside. The new movement has comprised Liwaa al-Shamal, the 9th Division, Liwaa al-Muntaser, Sultan Murad, al-Sham Corps, the 112th Brigade and Thowwar al-Sham.
It is worth noting that the unified operations room of “Azm” was formatted in mid-July, in which it comprised at that time al-Jabha al-Shamiyyah, Sultan Murad Division and other Turkish-backed factions.
On October18, six Turkish-backed factions including al-Jabha al-Shamiyah, Jaish al-Islam, al-Magd Division, 51 Division, Malek Shah Division and Liwaa Islam have merged under ranks of the 3rd corps of the “National Army”, in Turkish-held areas.
Violations, crises and protests
On October 12, a group of population protested in al-Ra’ay area in north Aleppo and demanded improving the services of paving the road and generating electricity. The protesters cut the road between al-Ra’ay town and Talit Eishah village to express their discontent.
On October 13, teachers, subordinate by Education Directorate of the “Syrian Interim Government” in “Euphrates Shield” and “Olive Branch” areas, called for a general strike on the following day, protesting the insufficient salaries of teachers in the areas controlled by the “Syrian Interim Government” in Aleppo countryside.
On the other hand, several teachers announced joining the protests launched in al-Bab city and Qabasin town. Also, many teachers in Azaz city responded to the calls of Education administration workers in al-Bab city and countryside.
The teachers confirmed that they will participate in the strike individually in the case that the Education Directorate in Azaz city did not issue a statement regarding the increase of their salaries.
The calls for general strike came as a protest against the low monthly salaries of teachers that do not exceed 750 Turkish Liras each, about 80 USD. The teachers demanded to increase the salaries to 2,000 Turkish Liras, so that they could deal with the high prices of most of food supplies and essential products.
The teachers threatened to escalate their protests, if their demands are not applied, as they have demanded comprehensive improvement of the educational situation and regular increase of their monthly salaries. The teachers also confirmed they would not keep silent, if the Education Directorate exerted pressure on them.
On October 14, dozens of students in different age categories protested in Afrin city in northwest Aleppo countryside against the deteriorated education system in the city.
Meanwhile, representatives of schools in al-Bab city made an announcement of hunger strike to express their discontent about the deteriorated educational system amid poor subsidy provided to the schools and to demand raising the monthly wages.
The announcement that SOHR obtained a copy of, reads, “we are the representatives of schools of al-Bab, Qebaseen villages and countryside and after intensive meetings through which we informed the concerned bodies of the deteriorated conditions in our schools at the levels of students and teachers, and after the letters we sent to the decision-makers, and after conducted several sit-ins infront of the ministry of educations under coverage of the media channels in the city and after the recent statement on July 10, 2021, and the meeting of oct. 11, 2021, we have decided to strike tomorrow, Thursday, on Oct. 14, 2021. If our demands are not met to improve the educational situation at all levels, and increase the teacher salary to not less than 2,000 LT, to preserve the dignity of the teachers, we will escalate as we promised. In case any teacher encounters any physical or administrative pressure, we wouldn’t stand silent.
On October 19, SOHR sources reported that the local councils in “Euphrates Shield” areas controlled by Turkish forces and their proxy factions issued a statement, threatening to fire teachers and deduct their salaries as a punishment for the days when they were absent from the region’s schools. The teachers had started a general strike, protesting their low salaries and calling for the improvement of the educational process.
The local councils gave the teachers a time limit until tomorrow to return to their schools, and they threatened to fire every teacher who would not be in his school on Wednesday.
On the other hand, the statement has ignited popular anger among the residents who see the decision as an “act of thuggery”.
The statement, of which the Syrian Observatory obtained a copy, and here are highlights of the most important parts of the statement:
“Regarding the teachers who have not attended during their shifts in schools in the city centre and surrounding villages, protesting their low salaries, the following actions will be taken:
- The number days that a teacher absent until Wednesday, October 20, 2021, to be deducted from his salary.
- Every teacher fails to attend in his school from October 20, 2021, will be fired in accordance with the interior system of the Local Council.
- Teachers have to return to their schools or they will be fired.”
On the other hand, al-Jabha al-Shamiyah faction, which controls Azaz city in the “Euphrates Shield” areas in Aleppo countryside, imposed levies on merchants and owners of commercial institutions in Azaz city in return of protecting them and their properties from kidnapping and thefts.
On the other hand, al-Jabha al-Shamiyah faction had sent several representatives to the merchants and owners of industrial institutions licensed by Azaz Merchants Chamber, demanding them to come to al-Jabha al-Shamiyah headquarters in Azaz city to be informed about the new decision issued by the “Security Office of al-Jabha al-Shamiyah” under the name of “protection taxes”.
According to the new decision, all merchants and owners of commercial institutions had to register their names at the Security office and pay monthly levies based on the wealth of each merchant.
Meanwhile, merchants and owners of industrial institutions fear that the new decision has been issued with the aim to be an excuse by al-Jabha al-Shamiyah to be aware of the wealth of merchants and owners of commercial institutions, in order to blackmail, kidnap or intimidate them later to collect ransoms and impose large levies in return for providing protection for them.
It seems that the series of violations in “Euphrates Shield” areas will be unstoppable as long as Turkish forces and their proxies keep breaching all international laws and charters, and with no body being able to put an end to these “grave” violations, despite SOHR repeated warnings about the dreadful humanitarian situation in the region.