“Euphrates Shield” areas and surroundings in January 2023 | Nearly 66 casualties in acts of violence…seven infightings…13 kidnaps and arbitrary arrests

Since Turkish forces and their proxy factions captured several areas in Aleppo after a military operation known as “Euphrates Shield”, humanitarian crises have been emerging and worsening gradually, with violations, attacks and explosions occurring almost daily. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has monitored and tracked January’s prominent developments in these areas, which could be summarised in the following main points:

 

 

Human casualties

 

In January 2023, SOHR activists documented the death of 20 people in areas under the control of Turkish forces and factions operating under the banner of “Euphrates Shield” operations room and their surroundings in the northern, eastern and north-eastern countryside of Aleppo. The fatalities’ breakdown is as follows:

 

-11 civilians, including two women and two children:

 

• Three civilians, including a woman, were killed in indiscriminate gunfire.

 

• Two were killed in tribal and family infightings.

 

• A child was killed in the explosion of an unexploded projectile.

 

• A new-born girl died of poor health condition.

 

• A young man was shot dead by Turkish Jandarma.

 

• A civilian was killed in indiscriminate gunfire.

 

• A civilian was shot dead by rebels.

 

• A woman was killed with a gunshot fired from areas where Kurdish and regime forces are deployed.

 

-Eight combatants:

 

• Four killed in factional infightings.

 

• Two killed by Kurdish and regime forces.

 

• One killed in attack by unknown gunmen.

 

• One was killed in an explosion.

 

-Turkish soldier was killed by Kurdish and regime forces.

 

SOHR also documented the injury of over 46 people because of acts of violence in “Euphrates Shield” area and its surroundings in January 2023.

 

The circumstances of the death of those civilians and combatants can be summarised as follows:

 

Civilians

 

• January 4: A civilian was killed by a gunshot fired by mistake when he was cleaning his gun in his house in Azaz city in the northern countryside of Aleppo.

 

• January 8: An unidentified man was killed and two civil police members were injured in clashes between two gunmen and a group of the civil police, which erupted after the gunmen had refused to stop at a checkpoint of the police on the outskirt of Al-Bab city in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.

 

• January 8: A woman was killed with a gunshot fired by mistake when her son was playing with a gun in Jarabulus city in eastern Aleppo.

 

• January 9: An 18-year-old man from Al-Hadath village in the countryside of Al-Bab city was killed in “Euphrates Shield” area that is controlled by Turkish-backed factions east of Aleppo by a stray bullet that was fired during the wedding celebration.

 

• January 11: A child was killed by the explosion of an unexploded projectile in a heater in their home in Khirbet Nada, east of Azaz city in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.

 

• January 13: An unidentified young man was shot dead by members of the Turkish border guards “Jandarma”, while he was passing the Syrian-Turkish borders from Al-Raiy area within “Euphrates Shield” area in northern Aleppo countryside.

 

• January 16: A woman from Hazawan village was killed by a gunshot fired from areas where Kurdish and regime forces are deployed in the northern countryside of Aleppo, while the woman was heading from Hazawan village to Abla village in Al-Bab countryside east of Aleppo.

 

• January 18: Residents found the body of a newborn girl, who was abandoned by her family for unknown reasons, dumped near the road between Shamarikh and Barsha villages in A’zaz countryside northern of Aleppo within “Euphrates Shield” area, while the body was handed over to the local authorities.

 

• January 19: A man from “Jays” tribe was killed by gunmen from “Al-Suwaynat” tribe during clashes over an earlier retaliation in Jarabulus city in eastern Aleppo.

 

• January 19: A young man from Sluk town in Al-Raqqah countryside was killed by an indiscriminate gunfire during clashes between “Jays” and “Al-Suwaynat” tribes in Jarabulus city in eastern Aleppo.

 

• January 31: A young man was killed in violent clashes with light and medium machineguns between gunmen from Anadan city and others in Al-Qatri camp in Shamarin city in Azaz countryside in northern Aleppo.

 

Combatants

 

• January 6: A member of the Turkish-backed Luwaa Al-Wakkas died affected by the wounds he sustained at late months of 2022, in an attack on a vehicle carrying members of Luwaa Al-Wakkas on the road between Towais and Marae’ in northern Aleppo countryside, where the vehicle was attacked from areas of Kurdish and regime forces.

 

• January 13: A Turkish soldier was killed, where a Turkish base was shelled in Hazwan village in Al-Bab countryside eastern of Aleppo by a missile and an artillery shell, fired from areas of Kurdish and regime forces in northern Aleppo countryside.

 

• January 20: Four combatants, including a field commander of Liwaa Asifat Al-Shamal, were killed in clashes with light and medium machineguns between a group comprising militiamen from Menagh village and another group of militiamen from Ashmawi family operating under the banner of Liwaa Asefat Al-Shamal near Hamshu complex in Azaz city centre.

 

• January 22: A militiaman of the “National Army” from Homs was killed in regime artillery fire on an outpost of the “National Army” near Abu Al-Zendayn crossing in Al-Bab countryside in east Aleppo countryside of Aleppo.

 

• January 25: A commander of Ahrar Al-Sham Islamic Movement was killed in an explosion of unknown source in Al-Hadas village near Al-Bab city in eastern Aleppo countryside. Local sources reported that the commander was targeted with a missile fired by unidentified drone.

 

• January 29: A member of “Al-Hamza Division” which operates under the banner of the Turkish-backed “National Army” was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Al-Tafri’ah village in Al-Bab countryside in eastern Aleppo.

 

 

Explosions

 

“Euphrates Shield” area experienced three explosions in January, two of which were caused by explosions of old ordnance and the third was caused by detonating an IED. Here are further details:

 

• January 8: An IED exploded in a military vehicle near Al-Buhtory school in Al-Bab city in eastern Aleppo, but no casualties were reported.

 

• January 11: Three displaced people of one family, a woman, and two of her sons, were seriously injured by the explosion of a heater in their tent in a makeshift camp in Barshaya village in the eastern countryside of Aleppo. The injured people were taken to the hospital for treatment.

 

• January 11: A child was killed, and his three siblings were injured, by the explosion of an unexploded projectile in a heater in their home in Khirbet Nada, east of Azaz city in the eastern countryside of Aleppo. The injured children were taken to the hospital for treatment.

 

 

Infightings

 

Also, in January 2023, SOHR activists documented seven infightings in “Euphrates Shield” area and its surroundings, which left seven people dead and 22 others injured. Here are further details:

 

• January 8: Clashes erupted between two gunmen and a group of the military police, after the gunmen had refused to stop at a checkpoint of the police on the outskirt of Al-Bab city in the eastern countryside of Aleppo. Meanwhile, one of the gunmen threw a grenade on the members stationed at the checkpoint, which caused the death of an unidentified gunman.

 

• January 15: Two civilians were injured in fighting that erupted between young men from Tel Qarah village and others from Kafrnaya village in Al-Rasalah camp on the outskirts of Shamarin village in Azaz countryside, north of Aleppo.

 

• January 16: An armed infighting erupted between “Al-Damalkha” and “Al-Johaishat” families, which are displaced in Shamarin camp in A’zaz countryside northern of Aleppo, within “Peace Spring” area due to disputes between the families that escalated to armed clashes, where several people were injured among both sides.

 

• January 18: Three members of the Civil Police including the head of a patrol and a civilian were injured severely, due to exchange shooting between members of the patrol and a suspect accused of “committing a robbery” in the centre of Marae’ city in northern Aleppo countryside, while the suspect managed to escape after throwing a grenade and opening fire on the members the patrol.

 

• January 19: Armed infighting left a member of Jais tribe killed and three others injured with one of them severely injured, by one of the members of Al-Suwaynat tribe for revenge for his father, who was killed last year by young men of Jais tribe.

 

• January 20: Violent clashes with heavy weapons and mortars erupted between gunmen from Menagh and militiamen of Liwaa Asifat Al-Shamal in Azaz in the northern countryside of Aleppo. The clashes left three people dead and seven others injured, amid a state of panic among the residents and calls by preachers, via loudspeakers of mosques, to stop clashes. Accordingly, the number of fatalities in those clashes in Azaz rose to four.

 

• January 31: Violent clashes erupted with light and medium machineguns between gunmen from Andan city and other gunmen in the Qatari camp in Shamarin city in A’zaz countryside northern of Aleppo, resulting in the death of a young man and injury of three others including one severely injured, and they were taken to the hospital to receive proper medication.

 

Assaults

 

Furthermore, SOHR activists documented only one assault occurred in “Euphrates Shield” area in the past month, where “Civil Police” in Marea city in the northern countryside of Aleppo assaulted a woman and destroyed furniture after raiding the house in search of her husband, who is wanted for “debt accumulation.” According to SOHR activists, “civil police” raided the house with the aim of arresting a person against whom complaints had been made by civilians for non-payment and debt accumulation, but the man was not in the house during the raid. The officers then beat the man’s wife and smashed the furniture of the house.

 

 

Arrests and kidnappings

 

SOHR documented the arbitrary arrest and kidnapping of 13 people in “Euphrates Shield” area and its surroundings in January. They are distributed as follows:

 

-Arbitrary arrests: Six people were arrested by the military police in Azaz, Al-Bab and Al-Ra’i cities for unknown reasons.

 

-Kidnappings: Seven people:

 

• January 8: Members of “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah” kidnapped a young man from Sarmada city, nearly a week after having been deported from Turkey, via Bab Al-Salama crossing in Azaz countryside. The man was heading Sarmada city in Idlib countryside when he was arrested, while his fate remains unknown.

 

• January 10: Unidentified gunmen kidnapped a young man from Qubbah Al-Sheikh village in Al-Bab countryside, east of Aleppo, from his home. The young man was taken to an unknown destination despite the deployment of several checkpoints of the “National Army” and security forces on the village roads.

 

• January 16: Unidentified gunmen in a “Santa Fe” car kidnapped a young man from Manbij city under arms, while the young man was near Qadiran junction in Al-Kornaish St. in Al-Bab city in Aleppo countryside within “Euphrates Shield” area, where the gunmen fled towards Baza’a area. The identity of the perpetrators and the fate of the young man remains unknown.

 

• January 22: Members of “Al-Hamza Division” arrested a young man from Idlib city on January 22, while he was heading from Idlib to Al-Bab city, where the kidnappers demanded his family to pay ransoms for his release.

 

• January 24: Unidentified gunmen kidnapped three civilians from Al-Bab city as they were travelling from Al-Bab to Idlib province. The victims’ fates remained unknown.

 

 

Moreover, SOHR documented one incident of imposition of levies on residents in “Euphrates Shield” area, where members of Sultan Murad faction in Al-Bab city in eastern Aleppo collected money by force from the residents, where they collected money from motorcycle riders under the pretext of “having no deeds of ownership,” as well as imposing a levy on the residents by members stationed at checkpoints in Tadef city in return for allowing the residents to check their properties in the part controlled by the faction in the city. It is worth noting that civilians are prohibited from accessing to this area under the pretext that “the area is a military zone.”

 

 

It seems that violations in “Euphrates Shield” area will not stop as long as Turkish forces and their proxies keep breaching all international laws and charters, while no party or international or regional player is exhibiting any willingness to put an end to these “grave” violations, despite SOHR repeated warnings about the dreadful humanitarian situation in the region.