SDF-held areas in January 2023 | Nearly 50 deaths in acts of violence…21 attacks by ISIS cells…over 15 infightings and crimes…deteriorating security

Areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), (SDF-held areas) experienced in January 2023 scores of incidents of security disorder and violations against human rights. In this context, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has monitored and tracked all key developments in SDF-held areas in the past month.

 

 

Deaths in acts of violence 

 

SOHR documented the death of 48 people in January 2023 in light of the ongoing acts of violence in SDF-held areas. Here are further details of those deaths:

 

-19 civilians, including three woman and five children; they are as follows:

 

• Nine people, including two women and a little girl, were murdered.

 

• Three people were killed by ISIS cells.

 

• Three civilians, including a woman and a child, were killed in attacks by Turkish drones.

 

• Two children were killed by explosions of old ordnance.

 

• A civilian was killed by regime forces.

 

• A child was killed by SDF.

 

-Seven gunmen:

 

• Five killed in tribal and family infightings.

 

• Two killed by clashes with SDF.

 

-19 combatants:

 

• 14 killed by ISIS.

 

• Four killed in airstrikes by Turkish drones.

 

• An SDF fighter was killed in Turkish bombardment.

 

-Two ISIS members were killed during security operations by SDF and International Coalition.

 

-Unidentified was killed by ISIS.

 

 

Ongoing Turkish escalation

 

Turkish military operations, mainly ground bombardment, were documented in areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration on a daily basis in January. Specifically, SOHR activists documented the death of an SDF fighter in Turkish bombardmenton Al-Terwaziyah area to the east of Ain Issa in northern Al-Raqqah. Turkish bombardment left no civilian casualties in SDF-controlled areas in January.

 

In addition, SOHR activists documented eight attacks by Turkish drones which killed eight people: three civilians, including a child and a woman, four combatants and a car driver, as well as the injury of three others. These attacks are distributed as follows:

 

• Al-Hasakah: seven attacks left three civilians, including a child and a woman, four combatants and a car driver dead and others injured.

 

• Al-Raqqah: one attack.

 

Here are further details of Turkish drone attacks on SDF-held areas in January:

 

• January 2: SOHR activists reported that a Turkish drone bombarded a house in Oka village in Tel Tamr district, north-west of Al-Hasakah. No casualties were reported.

 

• January 3: Three SDF commanders died affected by the wounds he sustained due to the Turkish drone attack on a position in Tel Tawel at the entrance of northern Al-Hasakah countryside.

 

• January 7: A Turkish drone targeted a site in Al-Khalidiyah village, west of SDF-controlled Ain Issa district in Al-Raqqah countryside, injuring a child. The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment.

 

• January 11: One of the cars on the M4 international road between Al-Hasakah and Al-Qamishly cities was attacked by a Turkish drone resulting in injuries, where they were taken to the hospital in Al-Qamishly to receive proper medication.

 

• January 12: A Turkish drone fired a missile on a car parked in Qarmatlo village on the road between Amoda and Al-Hasakah, causing only material damages.

 

• January 15: A Turkish drone targeted a military vehicle with two missiles in the area between Kari Mozan and Qarkob villages south eastern of Amoda in northern Al-Hasakah, causing only material damages.

 

• January 18: A 12 years-old child died affected by the wounds he sustained on January 18, in an attack by a Turkish drone on a car on Al-Qahtaniyah road in Al-Hasakah countryside, raising the number of people killed in the attack to two people, who are a civilian and a child.

 

• January 19: A Turkish drone targeted a position near the security checkpoint at the entrance of Ramilan city in Al-Qamishly countryside north eastern of Al-Hasakah, leaving a cmmander and a man dead.

 

Also, a woman from Tel Haman in Al-Qahtaniyah countryside died of the wounds she had sustained in Turkish drone attack on December 24.

 

 

Escalating activity by ISIS cells met by large-scale security campaigns

 

ISIS continued its operations in areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration, where it carried out several armed attacks and assassinations through gunfire, attacks with sharp tools and planting IEDs and landmines.

 

The Syrian Observatory documented over 21 operations, including armed attacks and explosions, carried out by ISIS cells in SDF-held areas in January 2023. According to SOHR statistics, these attacks left 18 people: eight civilians, 14 members of SDF, Asayish Forces and other SDF-backed military formations and one unidentified man, dead. These attacks are distributed regionally as follows:

 

• Al-Raqqah: Seven attacks left three combatants dead.

 

• Deir Ezzor: Eight attacks left three civilians, an unidentified person and four combatants dead.

 

• Aleppo: Two attacks left six combatants, including commanders, dead.

 

• Al-Hasakah: Two attacks left one combatant dead and others injured.

 

Meanwhile, Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by the International Coalition, continued their large-scale security campaigns to curb the escalating activity by the organisation and its affiliated cells in SDF-held areas, particularly in Deir Ezzor, Al-Hasakah and Al-Raqqah.

 

According to SOHR activists, 12 anti-ISIS campaigns were carried out in January 2023, which led to the arrest of two people belonging to ISIS and 388 others, including the official responsible for “Bait Al-Maal” (the financial resources) of ISIS.

 

 

Escalating public protests

 

Also, in January, protests, demonstrations and strikes escalated noticeably in SDF-controlled areas, especially in towns and villages of Deir Ezzor, where SOHR documented 28 protests in SDF-controlled areas against the catastrophic living and educational situations, as well as poor services, frequent violations, rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus and Iranians’ entrenchment of presence in this region. Here are further details:

 

• January 2: Dozens of residents of Deir Ezzor people have taken part in angry protests denouncing the rapprochement between the Turkish and Syrian regimes, and rejecting the Iranian incursion into Deir Ezzor. The protesters have lifted placards and banners with slogans affirming the principles of the Syrian Revolution and demanding the unity of the Syrian people against the regime and Iranian-backed militias.

 

• January 3: Dozens of villagers marched to demand their allocations of heating diesel and change local councils.

 

• January 4: Dozens of residents of Zain Al-Mubarraj in Umm Madafa district, south-west of Al-Hasakah, took part in a second consecutive day of demonstrations, demanding their allocations of bread, fuel for heating and bread from “Autonomous Administration” and change of local councils.

 

• January 10: Dozens of residents of Al-Basirah city and Ibrehah village, east of Deir Ezzor, have gathered and staged angry demonstrations, demanding that living conditions be improved, that representatives of the area be assigned to the districts and that detainees be released from “SDF” prisons, amid blocking roads with burning rubber tyres.

 

• January 11: SOHR activists reported a general strike in the covered market in Manbij in eastern Aleppo over the selling of diesel allowances by the owners of generators and their non-compliance with the work hours under the pretext that “diesel is not available,” which led to complete blackout.

 

• January 11: Dozens of residents of Bariha town in eastern Deir Ezzor countryside went out on protests, with most of them being young men working in smuggling on river crossings separating SDF-held areas and areas of regime forces and its militias. The protestors cut the roads with burning tires, following the storming operation launched by SDF on river crossings to stop smuggling operations.

 

• January 11: Five transportation companies, bus owners and private taxi owners working on the line of Al-Hasakah and Al-Qamishly, went on strikes due to the low wages.

 

• January 12: Dozens of residents of Al-Kibr village in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor have taken part in an angry protest to condemn not receiving heating diesel allocations via cards granted to them by “Autonomous Administration.”

 

• January 13: Several smugglers in Abriha town in eastern Deir Ezzor countryside went out on protests, amid cutting roads with burning rubber tires, after the smuggling operations were disrupted on river crossings from SDF-held areas to regime-held areas.

 

• January 14: Dozens of people from Ezbet and Maizilah towns, north of Deir Ezzor gathered and blocked roads with burning rubber tyres to demand disclosure of the fate of dozens of civilian detainees arrested several months earlier, including elderly people, by SDF forces.

 

• January 16: Dozens of people in Al-Jazarat town in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor staged a demonstration to denounce the reconciliation with the regime and rapprochement between the Turkish and Syrian regimes.

 

• January 16: Shopkeepers in Al-Jarniyah town, under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the western countryside of Al-Raqqah, gone on general strike to protest the taxes imposed by “Autonomous Administration” on the shops, which are estimated at 10% of the capital and profits of merchants, and raising the tariff tax.

 

• January 17: Dozens of displaced people from the seven villages gathered in Ezbet town, north of Deir Ezzor, in an angry demonstration, blocking roads with burning rubber tyres. The have called on SDF to improve living conditions, release detainees arrested by SDF four years earlier and put them on trail if they are found to be involved in certain cases and do not leave them to live in limbo in prisons without trial.

 

• January 17: Dozens of civilians participated in protests in front of Deir Ezzor Civil Council in the “Autonomous Administration”, due to incomplete distribution of heating diesel.

 

• January 18: Dozens of residents of Al-Mashlab neighbourhood on the eastern outskirts of Al-Raqqah, gathered in front of the Civil Council in Al-Raqqah city to protest the killing of a woman and her daughter by thieves, the spread of drug traffickers and the increase in crime and theft rates in the Al-Raqqah’s neighbourhoods.

 

• January 18: Members of Jess tribe have gathered at Corniche to protest the murder of the teacher and her daughter, to demand the disclosure of the criminals.

 

• January 18: Dozens of people from Ezbet town, north of Deir Ezzor, have staged an angry protest, blocking roads with burning rubber tyres. The protestors have demanded the “SDF” to improve living conditions and release detainees in SDF prisons.

 

• January 19: Hundreds of Al-Jess tribesmen gathered in front of the home of the teacher, who and her little daughter, were killed in Al-Mukhtalat neighborhood of Al-Raqqah earlier this month. The protesters demanded that the SDF hand the perpetrators of the crime over to the protesters.

 

• January 20: Tens of residents protested in Al-Jerthi town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor and set fire to rubber tyres blocking the roads. The protestors called for providing higher quality of bread, especially after authorities have secured good quality of flour.

 

• January 20: A demonstration took place in Hawayij Bosam’a village in western Deir Ezzor, where the protestors opposed the SDF policies and called for improving the living situation in the region.

 

• January 21: Dozens of people from Abriha village, east of Deir Ezzor, staged angry protests, setting rubber tyres to blaze and blocking the roads, to demand better living conditions and the release of detainees arrested by SDF. It is worth noting that the people began to stage several protests after a campaign of raids carried out by the “SDF” on river crossings to stop smuggling.

 

• January 22: Thousands of people from Al-Raqqah marched in a mass popular demonstration from the house of the murdered female teacher, Nur Al-Ahmad, who was killed with her daughter last Monday in Al-Mashlab neighbourhood of Al-Raqqah by thieves. Hundreds of activists and tribal dignitaries in Al-Raqqah took part in the demonstration.

 

• January 22: Dozens of residents of Al-Harijiyah village, north of Deir Ezzor, gathered in angry demonstrations amid blocking public roads with burning rubber tyres, in protest against bread rations being reduced as bread ration is one loaf per person per day, and does not meet civilian’s daily needs.

 

• January 24: Dozens of people from Al-Jaradhi town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor staged an angry demonstration, blocking roads with burning rubber tyres. The people called for improving living conditions and the elimination of rampant corruption in “Autonomous Administration” departments of Al-Jaradhi town.

 

• January 27: Dozens of people from Ezbet and Ma’izila areas in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor staged angry protests, setting rubber tyres to blaze and blocking the roads, to demand improving living conditions and health and education services and the release of detainees arrested by SDF.

 

• January 28: Dozens of civilians staged angry protests in Ma’izila and Ezbet areas of the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor, demanding the release of detainees arrested by SDF, amid blocking the main road leading to Koniko gas field and a Ma’izila market with burning tyres.

 

• January 28: The bread bakery of Abu Khashab town, north of Deir Ezzor, was closed by the Bread Bakeries committee of Autonomous Administration for a month due to poor bread and manipulation of the weight of the bread “tie” by the owner of the bread bakery, despite receiving the imported flour.

 

• January 29: Popular protests renewed for a third consecutive day in Al-Ezba and Al-Maaizaleh towns in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor. Dozens of people staged protests, demanding the release of innocent detainees by the SDF amid blocking the main road with burning tyres.

 

 

Escalating security chaos: Scores of infightings and murder crimes

 

SOHR activists have reported noticeable escalation of tribal and family infightings in SDF-controlled areas in January 2023 in light of the growing security chaos, proliferation of arms and military and security powers’ inability to control the security situation. In the past month, SOHR documented eight infightings which left five people dead and nine others, including two women, injured; they are distributed regionally as follows:

 

• Deir Ezzor: Seven infightings left five people dead and nine others, including two women, injured.

 

• Al-Hasakah: One infightings left one person injured.

 

Here are further details on the circumstances of tribal and family infightings in SDF-controlled areas in January 2023:

 

• January 12: Abu Hammam village in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor which is in SDF-controlled areas experienced tension between two families of the Al-Shaitat tribe. This comes amid fears of erupting family fighting over killing a 20-year-old husband of one family by his wife’s siblings from the other family in Turkey for beating the wife. The husband’s brothers-in-law beat him and hit him in the head, and killed him.

 

• January 15: Armed clashes erupted with machineguns due to family infighting between Al-Mahidy Al-Hayis and Al-Awad Al-Hayis in Gharanij town in eastern Deir Ezzor countryside, due to an old vendetta that was renewed today, leaving two people injured.

 

• January 18: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a man from Kasra district, after pursuing him for old revenge in Zghir Jazeera town in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor.

 

• January 18: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a civilian ridding his car due to an old vendetta in Mahimidah town, west of Deir Ezzor.

 

• January 19: A woman sustained a gunshot wound fired indiscriminately during armed family clashes that took place today following a dispute between gunmen from two families of Al-Shaiytat tribe in the SDF-controlled Al-Kashkiyah town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

 

• January 22: A civilian was injured when a gunman opened fire at him over an old vendetta in Al-Wahda street in Al-Qamishli city centre in Al-Hasakah countryside. Internal Security Forces (Asayish) managed to arrest the perpetrator.

 

• January 24: A civilian was killed and at least two others were injured when a family fighting with light weapons erupted among cousins in Al-Sanour area in Abu Hamam town in the SDF-controlled areas in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor due to an old vendetta. SOHR activists have reported that tension prevails in the area, and civilians call for the intervention of dignitaries to resolve the dispute.

 

• January 30: Two civilians were killed and three others were injured including a woman, in armed clashes between cousins of “Sabaa” tribe in Mashirfa neighbourhood in northern Al-Hasakah countryside, due to disputes that escalated to armed clashes, amid tension in the area.

 

• January 31: Violent clashes erupted today between members of “Fakhd Al-Malaly” and “Al-Shoaitat” tribes in Hawayj Bo Maasa village in western Deir Ezzor countryside, where machineguns were used following disputes between both tribes , while residents of the village appealed the tribes’ dignitaries to interfere and break the clashes to spare the bloodshed.

 

 

Moreover, SOHR documented seven murder crimes in areas controlled by the Autonomous Administration in the past month over domestic violence, thefts and other unknown motives. These murders left nine civilian fatalities, including two women and a little girl; they are distributed regionally as follows:

 

• Al-Hasakah: A man.

 

• Deir Ezzor: Six civilians, including a woman.

 

• Al-Raqqah: Two civilians: a woman and a little girl.

 

 

Ongoing recruitment of children by “Al-Shabiba Al-Thawriyah”

 

“Al-Shabiba Al-Thawriyah” (the Revolutionary Youth) continues attracting and luring minors to serve in its military ranks, blatantly violating human rights and international resolutions that the Autonomous Administrations and Syria Democratic Forces have signed, while neither the residents’ demands to stop exploiting and recruiting children to military ranks nor the international charters managed to put an end to the recruitment of children by “Al-Shabiba Al-Thawriyah.”

 

In early January, “Al-Shabiba Al-Thawriyah” kidnapped a 16-year-old girl in Tel Rifaat district in northern Aleppo.

 

 

We, at the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), call upon the authorities in SDF-held areas to fulfil people’s demands that call for the improvement of social and living conditions and not punish them for demanding their rights. We also call on the International Coalition and SDF to intensify their security campaigns against active and sleeping ISIS cells in various areas in east Euphrates to prevent the revival of ISIS which poses a threat to local, regional and international security.

 

SOHR calls upon the Autonomous Administration in north and east Syria, Syria Democratic Forces, and all relevant authorities to put an end to the ongoing violations by “Al-Shabiba Al-Thawriyah” (the Revolutionary Youth) in the east Euphrates region.