SDF-held areas in June 2022 | 32 deaths in acts of violence…dramatic increase in tribal and family infightings…ongoing military escalation by Turkish forces…disastrous living conditions

Areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), (SDF-held areas) experienced in June 2022 scores of incidents of security disorder and violations against human rights. In this context, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has monitored and tracked all key developments in SDF-held areas in the past month.

 

 

Deaths in acts of violence 

 

SOHR documented the death of 32 people in June 2022 in light of the ongoing acts of violence in SDF-held areas. Here are further details of those deaths:

 

-Nine civilians:

 

• A young man was killed in indiscriminate gunfire during clashes between SDF and regime forces.

 

• Three civilians were murdered.

 

• A child was killed in a grenade explosion.

 

• A man was shot dead by members of ISIS cells.

 

• Three civilians were killed in ground bombardment by Turkish forces and their proxy factions.

 

-11 combatants:

 

• Six were killed by members of ISIS cells.

 

• Two were shot dead by smugglers.

 

• Two were killed in gunfire by Turkish-backed factions.

 

• One was killed in an attack by a Turkish drone.

 

-11 gunmen were killed in family and tribal infightings.

 

-An ISIS commander was killed during a security operation by SDF and International Coalition Forces.

 

 

Ongoing activity by ISIS cells

 

ISIS continued its operations in areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration, where it carried out several armed attacks and assassinations through gunfire, attacks with sharp tools and planting IEDs and landmines.

 

The Syrian Observatory documented nine operations, including armed attacks and explosions, carried out by ISIS cells in SDF-held areas in June 2022. According to SOHR statistics, these attacks left seven people: one civilians and six combatants, dead.

 

Meanwhile, Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by the International Coalition, continued their large-scale security campaigns to eliminate ISIS and its cells and put an end to their activity in SDF-held areas, particularly in Deir Ezzor, Al-Hasakah and Al-Raqqah.

 

According to SOHR activists, anti-ISIS campaigns in June 2022 led to the arrest of 29 people for “communicating with and belonging to ISIS.” Also, an ISIS commander was killed during a security operation by SDF and International Coalition Forces.

 

Moreover, SOHR documented the arrest of eight people, including a young lady, in June by security forces operating in areas controlled by the Autonomous Administration for unknown reasons.

 

 

Deteriorating living conditions trigger public discontent

 

Areas controlled by the Autonomous Administration in north and east Syria experienced public discontent due to the increasing price and shortage of gasoline and petrol in petrol stations.

 

Residents expressed their rejection of the spike in fuel prices to 1,200 SYP and called on Autonomous Administration to illustrate and reveal the reasons for the soaring prices and the lack of fuel at petrol stations, especially since the new increase in fuel prices was not based on an official decision by fuel directorate of the Autonomous Administration.

 

Although areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration in north and east Syria are rich in oil wells, these areas are occasionally hit by fuel crises which ignite popular protests, while no solutions loom in the horizon still.

 

Meanwhile, public anger was growing because of reducing the hours of electricity availability and reducing the hours of pumping drinking water in light of the current high temperature.

 

According to SOHR sources, electricity were cut off for nearly 48 hours in Al-Qamishli and villages and towns in Tel Tamr, Al-Darbasiyah, Amuda and Karaki Laki, Maa’bada, Al-Malikiyah (Dayrik) in the northern countryside of Al-Hasakah.

 

As the fuel crisis escalates, long queues were seen in front of petrol stations, where people had to wait for long hours for getting diesel and petrol, not to mention the soaring prices of fuel.

 

Moreover, the fuel crisis prompted a rise in electricity prices by owners of power generators. The price of a litre of diesel on the black market reached 1,700 SYP, after the fuel department of the Autonomous Administration had raised the price of diesel to 1,200 SYP without an official decision. The unaffordable prices of both fuel and electricity ignited a state of public anger and dissatisfaction, amid failure of the relevant authorities to find workable solutions to ease the burden on civilians.

 

 

Dramatic escalation of tribal and family infightings

 

Also, in June, tribal and family infightings escalated dramatically in SDF-controlled areas, as Observatory activists documented seven bloody infightings: five in Deir Ezzor, one in Manbij and one in Al-Hasakah, which left 11 people dead and over 25 others injured.

 

Furthermore, SOHR activists documented three murders in areas controlled by the Autonomous Administration in June. These murders left three men dead.

 

 

Ongoing military escalation by Turkish forces

 

Turkish military operations, including ground attacks and airstrikes by drones, were documented in areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration on a daily basis in June. Specifically, SOHR sources reported bombardment with over 2,700 rockets and artillery shells fired by Turkish forces and their proxy factions over the past month, targeting different positions in Al-Hasakah, Al-Raqqah and Aleppo countryside, which killed three civilians at least.

 

In addition, SOHR activists documented three attacks by Turkish drones which killed a military commander and injured five others.

 

In light of the propaganda about an imminent military operation, SOHR activists reported that hundreds of regime soldiers were deployed in different areas in Manbij countryside in north-east Aleppo countryside. According to reliable SOHR sources, the number of regime soldiers was estimated to be 2,000, while the deployment of these soldiers, which took place in batches, was concentrated in areas of Al-Sajor line in Manbij countryside at the Syria-Turkey border.

 

In the meantime, new military reinforcement arrived at the Russian base in Al-Si’aydiyah village to the west of Manbij city in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, near Aleppo-Latakia international highway (M4). According to SOHR sources, the recently-arrived reinforcement comprised nearly 15 military vehicles. The arrival of this convoy coincided with flights by Russian helicopters over Manbij city and frontlines between military formations affiliated to SDF and regime forces on one hand, and Turkish forces and factions of the “National Army” on the other.

 

On June 3, SOHR sources reported the arrival of military reinforcement in the Russian military base, Al-Si’aydiyah base, in Manbij countryside in rural Aleppo.

 

 

Ongoing recruitment of children by “Al-Shabiba Al-Thawriyah”

 

“Al-Shabiba Al-Thawriyah” (the Revolutionary Youth) continues attracting and luring minors to serve in its military ranks, blatantly violating human rights and international resolutions that the Autonomous Administrations and Syria Democratic Forces have signed, while neither the residents’ demands to stop exploiting and recruiting children to military ranks nor the international charters managed to put an end to the recruitment of children by “Al-Shabiba Al-Thawriyah.”

 

On June 17, “Al-Shabiba Al-Thawriyah” kidnapped a boy under the age of eighteen in Al-Darbasiyyah area in Al-Hasakah countryside.

 

Ten days later, on June 27, “Al-Shabiba Al-Thawriyah” kidnapped two girls under the age of eighteen in Tel Tamr area in Al-Hasakah countryside and Ain Al-Arab (Kobani) in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.

 

 

We, at the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), call upon the authorities in SDF-held areas to fulfil people’s demands that call for the improvement of social and living conditions and not punish them for demanding their rights. We also call on the International Coalition and SDF to intensify their security campaigns against active and sleeping ISIS cells in various areas in east Euphrates to prevent the revival of ISIS which poses a threat to local, regional and international security.

 

SOHR calls upon the Autonomous Administration in north and east Syria, Syria Democratic Forces, and all relevant authorities to put an end to the ongoing violations by “Al-Shabiba Al-Thawriyah” (the Revolutionary Youth) in the east Euphrates region.