The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

“Peace Spring” areas in 2022 | 151 casualties in acts of violence…45 explosions and infightings…over 380 other violations

SOHR renews its appeals to the international community to protect civilians in Peace Spring areas from the systematic practices of Ankara-backed factions

Human rights violations have been escalating in areas under the control of Turkish forces and their proxy factions in Al-Hasakah and Al-Raqqah, known as “Peace Spring” areas, since they were captured in October 2019. These forces’ aim is to accomplish specific economic and political objectives through exploiting the region’s wealth, resources and people.

 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has monitored and tracked all developments and violations committed in “Peace Spring” areas in 2022.

 

 

Acts of violence leave scores of casualties

 

In 2022, 83 people were killed in “Peace Spring” area, and over 68 civilians and combatants were injured; the fatalities are distributed as follows:

 

-28 civilians, including four women and seven children:

 

  • Six civilians, including a child and three women were murdered.

 

  • Three civilians were killed by SDF.

 

  • Nine civilians, including a woman and four children, were killed by factions.

 

  • Five civilians were killed by Turkish Jandarma.

 

  • Two civilians were killed in explosions.

 

  • Three civilians were shot dead by unknown gunmen.

 

-48 combatants:

 

  • 29 killed in factional and tribal infightings.

 

  • Nine killed in explosions.

 

  • Nine killed by SDF.

 

  • One shot dead by unknown gunmen.

 

-Three Turkish soldiers were killed in explosion in their vehicle near the Syria-Turkey border in Tel Abyad area in the northern countryside of Al-Raqqah.

 

-Three gunmen were killed in a family fight.

 

-The Yassin Al-Mahmoud’s rapist who was extrajudicially executed by militiamen.

 

Here is a monthly breakdown of fatalities documented in “Peace Spring” area in 2022:

 

  • January: Six people: three combatants and three Turkish soldiers.

 

  • February: No fatalities documented.

 

  • March: Five people: a man, a child and three combatants.

 

  • April: 11 people: two civilians and nine combatants.

 

  • May: 12 people: a child and 11 combatants.

 

  • June: Seven people: four civilians and three combatants.

 

  • July: No fatalities documented.

 

  • August: Eight people: five civilians, including three children, and three combatants.

 

  • September: 13 people: six civilians, including a woman and a child, three combatants and the Yassin Al-Mahmoud’s rapist.

 

  • October: Two persons: a woman and a militiaman.

 

  • November: Ten people: two women and eight combatants.

 

  • December: Eight people: four civilians, including a child, three gunmen and a combatants.

 

 

Infightings

 

“Peace Spring” area in Al-Hasakah and Al-Raqqah experienced 37 factional, tribal and family infightings in 2022, during which 39 people were killed and ten others injured. The fatalities are distributed as follows:

 

  • Seven civilians, including a woman and three children.

 

  • 29 combatants.

 

  • Three gunmen.

 

A monthly distribution of infightings documented in “Peace Spring” area in 2022 is as follows:

 

  • January: 1

 

  • February: 1

 

  • March: 8

 

  • April: 7

 

  • May: 4

 

  • June: 2

 

  • July: 3

 

  • August: 2

 

  • September: No infightings documented.

 

  • October: 3

 

  • November: 5

 

  • December: 1

 

 

Explosions

 

Moreover, SOHR documented eight explosions of landmines, booby-trapped cars and motorcycles and IEDs in “Peace Spring” area in 2022, which left 14 fatalities: two children, nine combatants and three Turkish soldiers. Here is a monthly distribution of these explosions:

 

  • January: 2

 

  • February: 1

 

  • March: 1

 

  • April: No explosions were documented.

 

  • May: No explosions were documented.

 

  • June: No explosions were documented.

 

  • July: 1

 

  • August: No explosions were documented.

 

  • September: 2

 

  • October: No explosions were documented.

 

  • November: 1

 

  • December: No explosions were documented.

 

 

Arbitrary arrests and kidnaps

 

Beside the explosions and infightings which badly impacted the daily activity of civilians and triggered public anger, SOHR activities documented, in 2022, the arbitrary arrest of over 226 people, including three women, as well as the kidnapping of 31 other, including a child. Here is a monthly breakdown of arbitrary arrests and kidnaps in “Peace Spring” area in 2022:

 

-January:

 

  • Arrests: 14 people, including two women.

 

  • Kidnaps: A man.

 

-February: No arrests or kidnaps were documented.

 

-March:

 

  • Arrests: Three men.

 

  • Kidnaps: One man.

 

-April: No arrests or kidnaps were documented.

 

-May:

 

  • Arrests: Two men.

 

  • Kidnaps: No kidnaps were documented.

 

-June:

 

  • Arrests: Three men.

 

  • Kidnaps: No kidnaps were documented.

 

-July:

 

  • Arrests: One man.

 

  • Kidnaps: 16 men.

 

-August: No arrests or kidnaps were documented.

 

-September:

 

  • Arrests: 16 people, including a woman.

 

  • Kidnaps: 12 men.

 

-October:

 

  • Arrests: Two men.

 

  • Kidnaps: One child.

 

-November:

 

  • Arrests: 185 men.

 

  • Kidnaps: No kidnaps were documented.

 

-December: No arrests or kidnaps were documented.

 

Moreover, SOHR has documented over 125 other violations in 2022, which are distributed as follows:

 

  • 67 incidents of seizure of houses, shops, cars and farmlands.

 

  • 29 incidents of selling displaced people’s properties.

 

  • Ten incidents of excavation and digging work and sabotage in archaeological hills and sites.

 

  • 19 thefts.

 

The monthly distribution of these violations is as follows:

 

  • January: 18

 

  • February: 15

 

  • March: 19

 

  • April: 21

 

  • May: 14

 

  • June: 3

 

  • July: 4

 

  • August: 2

 

  • September: 9

 

  • October: 5

 

  • November: 11

 

  • December: 4

 

 

SOHR would like to highlight the most prominent violations in “Peace Spring” area in 2022, which can be summarised as follows:

 

  • February 16: Members of the Turkish-backed “National Army” took over plots of land in Ras Al-Ain (Sere Kaniye) in the north-western countryside of Al-Hasakah, along with escape of several families to Turkey, with the help of smugglers, fleeing from violations of Turkish-backed factions. According to reliable SOHR sources, Alouk, Marikis, Dawodiyah, Al-Safh, Al-Qasemiyah and Al-Raihaniyah villages, which are located to the south-eastern part of Ras Al-Ain, witnessed seizure of civilian properties by members of Al-Hamza Division, Al-Motassem and Jaysh Al-Islam.

 

  • March: members of Al-Hamza Division, under supervision of Turkish intelligence, levelled large swathes of land hosting civilian houses and farmlands in Ain Al-Hesan village in south Ras Al-Ain countryside with the aim of turning that area into a military zone. According to reliable SOHR sources, Al-Hamza Division destroyed 12 houses on Abu Mazlom farm whose area was estimated to be 30 dunams, and it contains fruit-bearing trees. The faction used heavy bulldozers and trucks brought from Turkey to turn that area into a military zone and establish a joint base of Turkish army and Al-Hamza Division. These houses which have been destroyed belonged to members of the same family, documented by initials in order to ensure anonymity: “A. M. H.”, “F. A. H.”, “A. M. H.”, “M. A. H.”, “D. A. H.”, “A. M. H.”, “A. M. H.”, “A. M. H.”, “M. M. H.”, “A. M. H.” and “A. M. H.”

 

  • April 4: SOHR sources reported that Turkish-backed factions continued to sabotage Syria’s historical heritage in areas under their control through digging and excavation work in archaeological hills and destroying sites unprofessionally, using heavy diggers and earth-moving machineries, in order to search for antiques, in full view of Turkish forces. In this context, gunmen of the Turkish-backed Al-Hamza Division started excavation work in Al-Zahab and Al-Fukhairiyah archaeological hills in Ain Al-Hosan village to the south of Ras Al-Ain “Sere Kanye” in “Peace Spring” area in Al-Hasakah countryside, in search for antiques.

 

  • May 30: members of the Turkish-backed Sultan Murad faction sold a house that they had taken over during “Peace Spring” operation in 2019. The house belonged to a displaced civilian from Ras Al-Ain (Sere Kaniye) in Al-Hasakah countryside. According to SOHR sources, members of Al-Hamza Division bought the house for 5,000 USD, and turned it to an assembly point for people who wanted to leave to Turkey as a part of smuggling operations by the faction.

 

  • September 14: A militiaman of a Turkish-backed faction raped and killed a little Iraqi boy called “Yassin Al-Mahmoud” in Ras Ain city (Sere Kaniye). The crime triggered public anger in the area where mass protests took place on September 15 in Ras Al-Ain city in Al-Hasakah countryside and Sluk city in the northern countryside of Al-Raqqah. The protestors called for bringing the murderer to justice. A few hours after those protests, the militiaman, who raped and killed the little boy, was extra-judicially executed while he was deported from the military police branch to the civil police branch in Ras Al-Ain city, as Turkish-backed militiamen stopped the police car and shot him dead.

 

  • October 27: Five UN vehicles paid a visit to Allouk water station in “Peace Spring” area in Al-Hasakah countryside, under the protection of Turkish forces. This visit was the first of its kind since Turkey captured the area in 2019.

 

On the other hand, the so-called “Peace Spring” area has witnessed a dreadful humanitarian situation, deteriorating services and dire living conditions, which triggered public anger. In 2022, SOHR documented tens of protests and demonstrations staged by the residents who called for improvement of living conditions, stopping violations and factional infightings, controlling security situation and putting an end to the escalating security chaos. On many other occasions, the region’s residents protested corruption practiced by local councils and Turkish-backed factions and violations committed by Turkish energy companies operating in that region.

 

On June 27, shopkeepers in Ras Al-Ain/Sere Kaniye city in ” Peace Spring” area demonstrated outside the Turkey-backed “local council” after they went on a strike and closed their shops, protesting the burglary of a shop in the centre of the city market by members of “Al-Hamza Division” of “National Army” and abuses by faction members against shop owners by imposing levies on them by force and looting goods from certain shops.

 

While on July 1, residents of Tel Halaf town to the west of Ras Al-Ain city (Sere Kaniye) staged a demonstration calling for reopening pharmacies which had been closed by the “Health Committee” and Turkish-backed police a few days earlier. The demonstrators also denounced the escalating security chaos in Ras Al-Ain city and countryside. According to SOHR sources, policemen beat demonstrators, which ignited a state of tension. On the other hand, Turkish forces were put on high alert and blocked several roads with the aim of defusing the growing tension.

 

On the same day, shopkeepers and residents staged a demonstration in Ras Al-Ain city (Sere Kaniye) in Al-Hasakah countryside, where the demonstrators gathered at Al-Jawzah roundabout and headed to a post where Turkish forces are stationed in the city. The demonstration followed the killing of a goldsmith in front of his house by unknown gunmen who also stole a handbag with gold and money in it, where the demonstrators denounced the increasing thefts and deteriorating security situation in Ras Al-Ain city and countryside.

 

Also, Ras Al-Ain city witnessed a general strike, on July 2, by shopkeepers, as well as a public demonstration in protest against the deteriorating security situation and escalation of theft, corruption, murders and kidnappings. The protesters chanted slogans, expressing that the “safe zone” is not safe and demanded the authorities end corruption, thefts, and security chaos in the area.

 

Similarly, on July 22, resident in Tel Halaf town in Ras Al-Ain countryside staged a demonstration, demanding the exit of Turkish-backed “National Army” factions from their town and hold accountable the fighters who engaged in the infighting which took place two day earlier between Al-Hamza and Malik Shah factions, which left six people, including two children, injured.

 

On August 12, demonstrations took place in Ras Al-Ain city (Sere Kaniye) in Al-Hasakah countryside, Tel Abyad and Sluk in Al-Raqqah countryside, where protestors opposed the Turkish Foreign Minister’s statements, in which he offered a proposal for a reconciliation between the opposition and Al-Assad’s regime. On the same day, SOHR activists have monitored military movements of Turkish forces and their proxies in “Peace Spring” areas, where they brought in military vehicles to frontlines with SDF in the area stretching from Abu Rasin countryside to Tel Tamr countryside in Al-Hasakah.

 

While on November 16, women went out on protests in front of Tel Abyad border crossing in “Peace Spring” area, demanding improvement of living conditions, in light of the acute shortage of essentials. This coincided with the failure of authorities of Tel Abyad area to secure basic needs of the residents and unfulfilled promises.

 

 

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.