“Euphrates Shield” area and its surroundings in January 2024 | Nearly 22 casualties in acts of violence…six 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 January’s prominent developments in these areas, which could be summarised in the following main points:

 

 

Human casualties

 

In January 2024, SOHR activists documented the death of 11 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:

 

-Nine civilians, including a woman:

 

• A civilian died under torture.

 

• Five civilians, including a woman, were killed in indiscriminate gunfire and infightings.

 

• A civilian was murdered.

 

• Two civilians were killed by an explosion.

 

-Two combatants:

 

• One killed in clashes with “Manbij Military Council.”

 

• One killed in factional infightings.

 

SOHR also documented the injury of over 11 people in acts of violence in “Euphrates Shield” area and its surroundings in January 2024.

 

 

Infightings

 

Also, in January 2024, SOHR activists documented five infightings in “Euphrates Shield” area and its surroundings, which left one combatant and four civilians, including a woman, dead and nearly four other civilians were injured.

 

 

Ongoing violations

 

Assaults

 

As Turkish-backed factions continue their violations against the residents of “Euphrates Shield” area and its surroundings, SOHR documented six incidents of assaulting civilians in January; here are further details:

 

• January 3: Members of pro-Turkey faction “Asifat Al-Shamal” in Yazi Bagh village in Azaz countryside in northern Aleppo, brutally beat a civilian, his mother and his son for receiving aid from an organization. The civilians were severely injured, where they were taken to a hospital for treatment.

 

• January 20: Members of the Military Police assaulted the women and insulted them during a raid on the houses of suspects in Al-Bab City for “drugs dealing.”

 

• January 24: Residents found a young man in one of the streets of Soran town within “Euphrates Shield” area, which is controlled by Turkish-backed factions in the northern countryside of Aleppo, where he was brutally tortured, after being kidnapped by unknown persons for two hours.

 

• January 25: A commander of “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah” faction and his escorted members brutally beat a civilian in his work place in Azaz city in the northern countryside of Aleppo and took him to the headquarters of the faction. The civilian was later released, after circulation of a video footage showing the faction’s members while beating and kidnapping him.

 

 

Arrests and kidnaps

 

In January, “Euphrates Shield” area in its surroundings experienced six cases of arbitrary arrests against civilians, while four civilians were kidnapped in the region in the past month.

 

 

Explosions

 

Also, in January, SOHR documented one explosion in “Euphrates Shield” area in its surroundings, where two workers of “stone quarry” died due to the explosion of a material used for explosions in the stone quarries, in Abla Village in Al-Bab City in eastern Aleppo countryside.

 

 

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.