“Euphrates Shield” areas and surroundings in February 2023 | Nearly 25 casualties in acts of violence…five infightings and explosions…ongoing security chaos

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 February’s prominent developments in these areas, which could be summarised in the following main points:

 

 

Human casualties

 

In February 2023, SOHR activists documented the death of 14 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:

 

-Six civilians, including a little boy, a little girl and two women:

 

• Two were murdered.

 

• Two killed in indiscriminate gunfire and infightings.

 

• One killed by militiamen.

 

• One killed by Turkish Jandarma.

 

-Eight combatants:

 

• One assassinated.

 

• One killed by Kurdish and regime forces.

 

• Six killed in attack by unknown gunmen.

 

SOHR also documented the injury of over 11 people in acts of violence in “Euphrates Shield” area and its surroundings in February 2023.

 

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

 

Civilians

 

• February 1: A young man died of wounds he sustained last night in clashes between gunmen from Anadan city and other gunmen in Al-Qatari camp in Shamarin city in Azaz countryside, north of Aleppo.

 

• February 1: A man from Al-Bab city was shot dead by unknown persons on a car near a pertol station on Baza’a-Al-Bab road in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.

 

• February 11: A member of “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah” which operates under the banner of the Turkish-backed “National Army” killed a civilian in Talil Al-Sham village in Azaz countryside in northern Aleppo, as he was high on drugs, before he escaped.

 

• February 14: A young man from Aleppo countryside died, after having been beaten and brutally tortured by the Turkish border guards “Jandarma” on the Syria-Turkey border, while attempting to cross into Turkish territory from Al-Ra’i town north of Aleppo, with the help of smugglers.

 

• February 19: A displaced civilian from Homs working in a refinery in Tarheen in the north-eastern countryside of Aleppo was shot dead by the employer, the refinery owner, following a dispute between them.

 

• February 23: A civilian was killed due to armed clashes between displaced gunmen from Al-Quriyah in Deir Ezzor countryside and residents of Al-Jawaderah tribe from Jarablus city in “Al-Tanak” refugee camp in Jarabulus.

 

Combatants

 

• February 1: A member of “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah” faction operating under the banner of Turkish-backed “National Army” died of wounds he sustained by a gunshot fired by a sniper from areas controlled by the regime forces in Tadef town in Al-Bab countryside, east of Aleppo.

 

• February 10: Six members of “National army” were killed in armed attack by unidentified people on “Qanakoy” checkpoint of Al-Sultan Suleiman Shah division on Barshaya road, north of Qabasin in Aleppo countryside.

 

• February 22: A member of “Al-Sultan Murad” Division of the Turkish-backed “National Army” was stabbed to death in mysterious circumstances, where his body was found with marks of torture in one of the division’s headquarters near grain silos in Al-Bab city in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.

 

 

Explosions

 

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

 

• February 1: Five civilians, including three children, were injured due to the explosion of a grenade while they were playing with it in their house in Al-Kornaish street in the centre of Al-Bab city in eastern Aleppo countryside.

 

• February 2: A civilian was injured due to the explosion of a landmine near the borders between Syria and Turkey, while he was sneaking into Turkey via smuggling, near Bab Al-Salama crossing on borders northern of Aleppo.

 

• February 5: A young man from Al-Bab city sustained serious injuries and lost his leg, because of an explosion of unknown origin in his house in Al-Bab city centre in the northern countryside of Aleppo.

 

 

Infightings

 

Also, in February 2023, SOHR activists documented two infightings in “Euphrates Shield” area and its surroundings, with the first taking place on February 23 when a civilian was killed and others were injured due to armed clashes between displaced gunmen from Al-Quriyah in Deir Ezzor countryside and residents of Al-Jawaderah tribe from Jarablus city in “Al-Tanak” refugee camp in Jarabulus.

 

While the second infighting took place on the same day, February 23, when four persons sustained various injuries due to a clash between gunmen from Andan and gunmen from Al-Ojeil tribe in Shamarekh camp in Azaz countryside, north of Aleppo. The clash followed beating children by a young man, while they were playing in agricultural land.

 

 

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.