Amid media reports on Turkish incursion into Syria | Four factional and tribal infightings in “Peace Spring” area since early May leave nearly 30 casualties

With the current propaganda by Turkish media about launching a new military operation by Turkish forces and their proxy Syrian factions into Syria, as well as the press release by the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan about imminent incursion into Syria to establish a “safe zone,” areas under the control of Turkish forces and their proxies, factions of the “National Army,” in Aleppo, Al-Raqqah and Al-Hasakah have experienced considerable security chaos which makes that region unsafe.

 

These areas witness periodical factional and tribal infightings, as well as scores of attacks, explosions and violations committed against the region’s inhabitants, including looting of private properties, repression and arrests.

 

Since early May 2022, Syrian Observatory activists have documented four infightings in areas controlled by factions of “Peace Spring” operations room, which left a child and eight combatants dead and four civilians, including a child and a woman, and 17 combatants injured.

 

Here are further details on May’s infightings in “Peace Spring” area:

 

• May 4: A fight ignited in Al-Ruwaya village in Ras Al-Ain countryside (Sere Kaniye) between a group of Ahrar Al-Sharqiyyah and members of the military police over operations of smuggling people into Turkey. The fight left a member of Ahrar Al-Sharqiyyah dead and a member of the military police injured.

 

• May 9: A rivalry ignited among members of Sultan Murad Division in Ras Al-Ain city over a lawsuit relating to promotion of illicit pills, where a member of the division was injured.

 

• May 18: Clashes erupted between the military police and the civil police in Ras Al-Ain city, which left three members on both sides dead and four others injured. Moreover, a child was killed during the clashes due to indiscriminate gunfire.

 

• May 25: A tribal infighting erupted in Ras Al-Ain city and countryside between gunmen of Al-Ekaydat tribe and other supporters on one hand, and gunmen of Al-Muwali tribe and supporters of the tribe on the other. The first spark of this infighting was on May 24 when a tribesman from Al-Ekaydat had been killed by gunmen of Al-Muwali tribe, before Al-Ekaydat tribe amassed its gunmen and unleashed violent attacks in the early hours of the morning of May 25 on positions of Al-Muwali tribe’s gunmen. Violent clashes erupted between the two tribes and lasted for hours, before Turkish forces interfered and broke up the clashes. These clashes left three members of Al-Muwali tribe dead and eight members of Al-Muwali tribe and three members of Al-Ekaydat tribe injured. The clashes also left four civilians, including a woman and a child, injured due to indiscriminate gunfire. Moreover, SOHR documented considerable material damage to civilian cars and houses. Also, gunmen of Al-Ekaydat seized headquarters, posts, houses and shops belonging to factions which had been brought to Ras Al-Ain city by Turkish forces when they captured the city.

 

On the other hand, “Peace Spring” area experienced an attack on May 19 when a police man was stabbed with a knife by unknown individual in front of his house in Hammam Al-Turkman area in Al-Raqqah countryside.

 

Overall, this bleak picture remains in place with the widespread corruption and tyranny of the Turkish-backed factions without any deterrent preventing them from committing further humanitarian crimes against Syrian civilians in the “Peace Spring” areas.

 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights therefore renews its appeal to the international community not to abandon its responsibility and obligations and find a lasting solution to the tragedy of the region’s civilians that are plagued with systematic abuse and violations committed by lawless factions, including thefts, murders, looting, arrests and kidnappings.