“Peace Spring” area | Safe haven to ISIS members and station for violations against civilians

In late 2019, Turkish forces and their proxy factions, which operate under the banner of the “National Army,” released a large-scale military campaign dubbed “Peace Spring” in Al-Hasakah and Al-Raqqah. The violent battles in Al-Raqqah, precisely in Tel Abyad, Sluk, Hammam Al-Turkman, Al-Hushan and Sherkerak, have forced nearly 20,000 Syrian people to displace from those villages and cities. The region has gradually turned into a centre of blatant violation and forcible displacement of civilians by the militiamen operating under the banner of several military formations, mainly “Jaysh Al-Sharqiyyah,” “Al-Majd faction,” factions of the Turkish-backed “National Army” and former ISIS members and commanders.

 

Those factions have hosted families and commanders in areas under the control of the factions, the most prominent of whom were H. K., who was attacked by Coalition aircraft in June 15, 2022 in Jarabulus, and Maher Al-Akkal, aka “Abu Saad Al-Shamali,” who was killed by Coalition airstrikes in Jendires in July 2022. In addition, two commanders have joined Turkish-backed factions in Tel Abyad city in the northern countryside of Al-Raqqah, and they are known by their initials as K. A., the official running ISIS press agency of A’maq, and F. B.

 

According to SOHR sources in the northern countryside of Al-Raqqah have confirmed that ISIS members and commanders are staying in “Peace Spring” area. Here are further details on some of them:

 

• A 23-year-old member known as F. K. from Al-Tayyar alley in Al-Raqqah province, who had joined ISIS-backed 93^rd Brigade in 2014, before he was distributed to the “Caliphate Cubs.” The man escaped to Afrin in Aleppo countryside in 2018 when he joined “Al-Hamzat faction, and he later moved to Ras Al-Ain city and joined the “National Army” in 2019.

 

• A 23-year-old member known as M. A. and nicknamed as “Talha” from Homs city. He joined ISIS when the organisation was established in 2013 and fight alongside the organisation in Homs desert. He had joined ISIS security service in June 2017, before he moved to Ikhtareen village in Aleppo province and joined Al-Hamzat Battalion. Recently, he has stayed in Sluk area in Al-Raqqah countryside.

 

• A member known by his initials as M. A. who was born in 1989 from Khonayfes area in Homs countryside. The man joined ISIS in 2014, and later he become a security “Emir” in “Riyadh Al-Saliheen” battalion in “Homs State.” The man participated in battles in Rif Dimashq, Al-Suwaidaa and Al-Tanaf area. He escaped to Turkey in 2017, with the help of Emir “Abu Mostafa Al-Iraqi” the leader of “Al-Siddeeq Brigade.” M. A. returned to Syria and joined “Sultan Murad” Division and participated in the Turkish incursion into Afrin, before he moved to Al-Bab area and joined “Ahrar Al-Sharqiyyah” faction. Recently, he moved to Tel Abyad and become the leader of a military group comprising 20 gunmen.

 

• A member known by his initials as A. J. and nicknamed as “Abu Jamal Al-Ansari,” who was born in Homs in 1988. The man joined ISIS in 2015 and headed a group affiliated to “Riyadh Al-Saliheen” battalion in “Homs State.” In 2016, he moved to Damascus, then to Azaz city where he headed the intelligence service. In 2018, he joined “Al-Hamza Division” and participated in the Turkish incursion into Afrin. Then he joined “Ahrar Al-Sharqiyyah” faction. Recently, he moved to Tel Abyad and become the leader of a military group comprising 20 gunmen.

 

• A member known as S. Q. who participated in the kidnapping of the American citizen “Peter Kasgui,” slaughtered him in the desert of Idlib and posted a video footage on social media showing the slaughter of “Peter Kasgui.”

 

• “Abu Saddam Al-Ansari,” the killer of Hevrin Khalaf.

 

All of those figures had been ISIS members and commanders, before they joined groups of Turkish-backed mercenaries. Now, they participate the Turkish forces’ attacks in Tel Abyad and “Peace Spring” area.

 

On the other hand, SOHR activists in Al-Raqqah have reported that the living situation of the inhabitants of areas under the control of “Peace Spring” operations room in Al-Raqqah is worth than other areas in Al-Raqqah province and the Syrian Jazeera (Deir Ezzor, Al-Hasakah, Al-Raqqah and Manbij), where they are struggling with extreme poverty and very poor services. Most of the region’s schools have been turned into military headquarters, while no affective educational body has been informed in this area so far; this, in turn, contributed to increasing the rate of illiteracy and encouraged children to engage into military acts.

 

Moreover, health sector in “Peace Spring” area has been deteriorated greatly, where medical institutions in the region has been confined to two hospitals only, they are in Tel Abyad and Ras Al-Ain. Furthermore, these two hospitals provide very poor service, where medical service is confined to first aid only, which forces the residents to head to hospitals and medical centres in SDF-controlled areas in Al-Raqqah, Al-Hasakah, Al-Qamishli and Manbij, which provide medical services for free. The poor services in “Peace Spring” area have led to spreading diseases, such as kidney disease, diabetes, cholera and corona virus, as well as the absence of medical programs and lack of annual and seasonal vaccine.

 

The sector of agriculture in “Peace Spring” area is not better, were farmers have suffered greatly during the latest seasons (2020, 2021 and 2022). According to SOHR sources in Al-Raqqah, no reclamation programs were provided during those seasons, while the prices of fertilisers and fuel allocations and rental fees of machineries used for cultivation have reached levels unaffordable by the many. Accordingly, many farmers, who had planted wheat, barley, vegetables, cotton and maize, avoided cultivation and reclamation of farmlands. Moreover, farmers, who have managed to cultivate their farmlands, find themselves forced to sell their harvest on black markets, as there is no a civil body for administrating agriculture sector in “Peace Spring” area.

 

Commenting on the poor administration and organisation in “Peace Spring” area, a civilian known by his initials as A. A. from Tel Abyad city has told SOHR that salaries of employees and teachers, which are given in Turkish lira, are the second lowest salaries in all zones of influence in Syria, with salaries in regime-controlled areas are the lowest. The man says “a teacher in “Peace Spring” area takes 1,000 TL, equivalent to 50 USD, while employees and managers in health and administrative institutions, civil councils and municipalities take 1,100 TL each, equivalent to 60 USD. Meanwhile, combatants and militiamen depend on revenue of smuggling operations and looting of civilian properties at checkpoint, while their salaries are unknown and not fixed, as there are many factions in the region. Families living in “Peace Spring” area in the northern countryside of Al-Raqqah receive no medical or financial support, as organisations are prevented from working there. Only a food basket is provided by Turkey to every family a week, but the basket is enough for only three days. Accordingly, indigenous residents, most of whom have been displaced to Al-Raqqah city centre or to Turkey, depend on remittances sent by their relatives.”