“Euphrates Shield” areas in November 2021 | Ten people killed in explosions, rivalries and other attacks, while popular resentment continues over ongoing violations
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 November’s prominent developments in these areas, which could be summarised in the following main points:
Human casualties: figures and details
In November 2021, SOHR activists documented the death of ten people in “Euphrates Shield” areas. The fatalities breakdown is as follows:
- A man believed to be an ISIS member was killed in a drone attack on the car he was traveling in Jarabulus city in north-east Aleppo countryside. The drone was likely to be affiliated to the International Coalition.
- A young man died of the wounds he sustained in gunfire during an armed robbery by unknown gunmen in Al-Sena’a neighbourhood in Al-Bab city.
- A young man from Tel Jayjan village in Mare’ countryside in the northern countryside of Aleppo died under torture by the head of the Counter-Terrorism department of Al-Ra’i police known as “Abu Al-Fawares”.
- A commander of the 9th Division was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Jarabulus city.
- A member of the 20th Division was stabbed to death by a civilian following a disagreement over the felling of trees in Al-Centre roundabout in Al-Bab city.
- A member of Sultan Murad Division was killed by two other members of the same division near Al-Masaken area in Al-Nu’man village in Al-Bab countryside, as the three members were on drugs.
- A man was found dead and his body was burned in his tent in Telal Al-Sham village in Azaz countryside.
- Two children were killed in the explosion of a grenade while they were playing with it in Al-Halnoji village in areas controlled by Turkish-backed factions in northern Manbij.
- The escort of a military commander of the Turkish-backed Sultan Murad Division was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Al-Ra’i town near the Syria-Turkey border in the northern countryside of Aleppo.
Also, in November, “Euphrates Shield” areas experienced three factional fights, with the first taking place in mid-November when sporadic clashes erupted between Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyah and Ahrar Al-Sham factions.
The clashes followed disputes over the priority of each faction to smuggle food and vehicles to regime-held areas in Al-Ujaimy and Al-Buwaihaj villages in Al-Bab countryside, east of Aleppo.
According to SOHR sources, altercations occurred between members of a military group of Ahrar Al-Sham, led by “Abu Udai” and another group of Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyah, after Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyah’s group had scouted the roads leading to regime-held areas without coordination with Ahrar Al-Sham. Ahrar Al-Sham saw this action as an “assault” by Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyah on the areas under its control.
Accordingly, Ahrar Al-Sham arrested members of Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyah, while verbal altercation ignited between the two sides, which evolved to clashes. Meanwhile, the two sides brought in large military reinforcement to Al-Bab city in east of Aleppo.
On November 16, the second fight occurred between the factions of Ahrar Al-Sharqiyah and Al-MuntasserBillah, as Ahrar Al-Sharqiyah faction stormed a military checkpoint of Al-MuntasserBillah faction in al-Ra’i city in the northern countryside of Aleppo in “Euphrates Shield” area. This development came after Al-MuntasserBillah faction had confiscated a vehicle of Ahrar Al-Sharqiyah, which was prepared to be smuggled to Turkey through Al-Ra’i crossing, which led to sporadic clashes between both sides. Meanwhile, Ahrar Al-Sharqiyah faction captured the checkpoint and arrested all Al-MuntasserBillah members stationed at that checkpoint.
The third fight took place on November 20 when sporadic clashes with machineguns erupted between an armed group of “Waki” family and the military police. These clashes followed the arrest of a suspect by the military police. Moreover, SOHR sources reported that gunmen of “Waki” family on a motorcycle opened heavy fire on the military police centre, in an attempt to exert pressure on the military police to release their son. In addition, the Military Police brought in military reinforcement nearby the targeted centre, giving the family time limit to break up their gathering.
“Euphrates Shield” area also experienced aerial attacks in the past month, as a drone believed to be of the International Coalition struck a car in Jarabulus city in the north-eastern countryside of Aleppo with a missile, killing one person and seriously wounding another. The two men were believed to be ISIS members.
While on November 11, an unidentified drone, believed to be of the International Coalition, executed an airstrike, targeting an area near al-Hamran crossing in Jarabulus countryside in north-eastern Aleppo. SOHR sources reported that the targeted area was near the frontlines between Turkish-backed factions and SDF. However, no casualties were reported. It is worth noting that Al-Hamran crossing is under the control of Turkish-backed factions, and it is used for smuggling people and goods.
Prominent developments
On November 8, a patrol of the Turkish-backed Military Police launched a security campaign in Kafarah village in Azaz countryside in northern Aleppo, arresting two young men for “belonging to ISIS”.
While on November 25, a patrol of “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah” arrested a young man from Kafrnaya village in “Euphrates Shield” areas, after he commented on a post on facebook, criticizing the working mechanism of the “Local Council” in Kafrnaya in the northern countryside of Aleppo. The young man was taken to a security centre.
On the other hand, unknown gunmen in the military police uniform kidnapped two young men from Al-Bab city in Aleppo countryside. According to SOHR sources, the young men had been robbed a few days earlier, while the gunmen lured them through publishing posts on Facebook, claiming that the military police arrested the thieves, and they informed the two young men to head to Azaz city to take back their stolen possessions. Communication with the two young men was lost and their fate remained unknown.
On November 24, Turkish Intelligence service arrested a military commander of Al-Hamza Division in Hawar Kilis city on charge of “preparing to open a crossing in Al-Tuwaihina village in Mare’ countryside in north Aleppo with Kurdish-held areas”. Meanwhile, a military commander of Al-Hamza Division, who was responsible for “Al-Sayed Ali” sector adjacent to Kurdish-held areas, escaped shortly after the arrest of the first commander.
On the other hand, Azaz Intelligence service arrested a civilian from the city working as an escort of the head of Suran Local Council, formed by Turkish forces, on charge of “staging and attending meetings of Al-Tahrir Party”.
Also on November 19, Turkish-backed military groups operating under the banner of “Azm” operations room devastated the roof of a house near the frontlines with regime forces in the northern countryside of Aleppo in order to take the steel and sell it, as a ton of steel was sold for nearly 400 USD. It is worth noting that the devastated house contained nearly a ton of steel.
On the other hand, Turkish-backed militiamen of “Abu Bakr Mu’az” group felled fruit-bearing olive trees in the section of Tadef under the control of al-Sham Corps, one of the factions operating under the banner of “Azm” operations room, in order to sell them as logs used for heating. It is worth noting that a ton of logs was sold for 100 USD, while the felled trees weigh nearly 250 kilograms each.
Meanwhile, Abu Amsha-led Sultan Suleiman Shah Division joined Tha’eroon Movement that was formed in October with seven factions. That movement operated in areas controlled by Turkish forces and their proxy factions in Aleppo countryside in “Euphrates Shield” and “Olive Branch” areas. In a statement issued by the faction, Al-Amshat explained the joining of the faction to the movement by “unifying ranks and efforts of the factions to meet the Syrian people’s aspiration”.
Also, on November 24, female teachers in Mare’ Girls High School went on strike, reacting to the violations and interference of the Turkish-backed Al-Hamza Division in civil decisions, including decisions related to the educational process. This strike came after al-Hamza Division stormed a school in Hazawan town in the eastern countryside of al-Bab city in north-eastern Aleppo on the previous day, attempting to break the strike started earlier by teachers in the schools in areas under the control of Turkish forces and their proxy factions in rural Aleppo, as the teachers demanded the improvement of the educational process and increase of their salaries.
In the meantime, a wave of popular anger prevailed in Qabasin, Al-Ra’i, and Al-Bab areas in the countryside of Aleppo, as textbooks for the first grade in primary school contained pictures insulting Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). The residents called for burning down these books which displayed short stories of the Prophetic biography with pictures of a man in a suit and a bare-headed woman in a wedding dress. According to SOHR sources, groups of the “National Army” and “Military Police” began raids, searching for the source of these books, with the aim to confiscate them in the education directorates and schools before having been distributed to other students in areas under their control.
It seems that violations in “Euphrates Shield” areas will not stop as long as Turkish forces and their proxies keep breaching all international laws and charters, and with no party showing any willingness to put an end to these “grave” violations, despite SOHR repeated warnings about the dreadful humanitarian situation in the region.