Death toll update | Five people killed in Turkish drone attack and SDF reacts by shelling Turkish positions in Al-Raqqa
Al-Raqqa province: SOHR activists have documented the death of a member of the SDF-backed Military Police, affected by the wounds he sustained in a drone attack on a position in Ain Eissa northern of Al-Raqqa.
Accordingly the number of people killed has risen to five including three Military Police members and two members of cadres.
As a response to the Turkish drone attack, SDF shelled Turkish positions opposite to Jahbal and Mashirfa villages in Ain Eissa countryside. However, no casualties have been reported yet.
SOHR activists documented the death of four people which are: two members of the cadres and two members of the SDF-backed Military Police, in addition to the injury of another member, due to an attack by a Turkish drone on machineries at a checkpoint near the 93rd Brigade, which holds regime and SDF members in Ain Eissa district in Al-Raqqa countryside.
Earlier today, SOHR activists have reported that a Turkish drone targeted a motorbike and a vehicle ridden by people believed to be fighters, at a checkpoint near the regime’s 93rd Brigade in Ain Eissa district in northern Al-Raqqa countryside, causing the death of two people.
This morning, reliable sources informed SOHR that SDF-held city of Al-Raqqah city, the former de-facto capital of the “Caliphate State,” witnessed the trial of 15 people accused of “spying for Turkish intelligence.” It is worth noting that a large number of civilian and combatants, who had been killed in the latest Turkish ground and aerial attacks, attended the closed trial which was held on Sunday, September 11, 2022.
According to SOHR sources, the indictees pleaded guilty to providing the Turkish intelligence with coordinates of the whereabouts of military figures and commanders of the “Autonomous Administration” and “Syria Democratic Forces” with the aim of attacking them by Turkish forces. The indictees also told off details about their communications with the Turkish intelligence.
The indictees, who had been arrested, included a man and his wife from Afrin canton and a woman from Idlib. According to SOHR sources, one of the indictees confessed that reached a deal with the Turkish intelligence a few weeks ago, according to which he would take 50,000 USD in return for providing the Turks with coordinates of the whereabouts of a senior commander in Ain Al-Arab (Kobani). The indictee added that he received 200 USD Before the attack, but the Turkish intelligence sent nothing after the attack.
Accordingly, the court imposed death penalty on 13 of indictees who had confessed to spying for the Turkish intelligence. Meanwhile, the remaining two indictees have not been sentenced so far, as there is no enough evidence against them, although they had confessed to spying for the Turkish intelligence.
During the trial, the families of victims attempted to attack the indictees.
Sources suggested that the death penalty was executed. However, SOHR was unable to verify if the penalty was executed or not.
Accordingly, the number of attacks carried out by Turkish drones on areas controlled by the “Autonomous Administration in northern and north-eastern Syria, AANES” since early 2022 has reached 56. These attacks left ten civilians and 50 combatants, including seven children and 13 females, dead, while over 90 others sustained various injuries. Here is a monthly distribution of attacks by Turkish drones in 2022:
• January: Three attacks left three people dead and 13 others injured.
• February: Ten attacks killed eight people, including two children and a young female fighter, and injured 21 others.
• March: Two attacks injured two people.
• April: 11 attacks left six people dead, including three women, and 19 others injured.
• May: Four attacks left three people dead, including a woman, and seven others injured.
• June: Three attacks left a combatant dead and five others injured.
• July: Three attacks left a civilian and 13 combatants, including seven women, dead and ten others injured.
• August: Ten attacks left four civilians, including two children, and 14 combatants, including a prominent commander, dead. In addition, nine others were injured.
• September: A girl died affected by wounds she sustained on August 14, and five military men were killed.