The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

SOHR: Turkish Forces Target Villages In Aleppo Northern Countryside

 

Turkish forces and their affiliated armed Syrian opposition factions, known as Syrian National Army (SNA), targeted on Monday outskirts of two villages in the northern countryside of Aleppo.

A local source told North Press the Turkish forces shelled a forest in the village of Soghana, affiliated with Sherawa district, in the countryside of the city of Afrin, north of Aleppo, with seven shells.

As a result, material losses were reported, according to the source.

Half an hour later, Turkish artillery targeted the outskirts of the village of Herbel, affiliated with the town of Tel Rifaat, with three shells, according to another source.

On Sunday evening, a Turkish drone targeted the village of Bilounia and the outskirts of Tel Rifaat in Aleppo northern countryside, reporting no casualties.

The town of Tel Rifaat, 35 km north of Aleppo city, has been a shelter for Afrin displaced people since 2018 following the Turkish invasion of Afrin and its countryside which resulted in the displacement of about 300.000 of Afrin’s original inhabitants, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The northern countryside of Aleppo governorate, also known as Shahba region, houses IDPs of the Kurdish city of Afrin which was occupied in 2018 by Turkey following a military operation called “Olive Branch” to push away the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the pretext of protecting Turkey’s “national security”.

The operation caused the displacement of about 300.000 of the original inhabitants of the Kurds of Afrin who have been taking shelter in 40 villages and five camps in Shahba region since then.

There are about 16.000 displaced families from Afrin distributed over 42 villages and towns in Shahba region, in addition to 1.870 families, comprising 7.500 individuals, now living in the camps of Barkhodan, Sardam, Afrin, al-Awda, and Shahba, according to the Social Affairs and Labor Board of the Afrin region, currently operating in Aleppo northern countryside.

The area has been militarily protected by Russian and Syrian government forces since 2018.

 

 

 

Source: North Press