In less than 24 hours, northeastern Syria witnessed a significant military escalation by Turkish forces, targeting 42 service and vital sites, including public infrastructure and residential areas. The attacks resulted in the deaths of 12 civilians, including two children, and left 25 others injured, some in critical condition. The offensive involved airstrikes by warplanes and drones, along with heavy artillery shelling, causing severe damage to infrastructure and disrupting security and essential services in the region.
Escalation Across Multiple Fronts
The escalation began in the city of Tal Rifaat, located in the northern countryside of Aleppo, where Turkish shelling directly hit civilian homes, claiming the lives of four individuals, including a five-year-old girl named Malak Shiyar. Ten others were injured, among them a 15-year-old boy, Ahmed Rifai, a 32-year-old woman, Jamila Waqas, and a 55-year-old woman, Sakina Ismail.
Turkish bombardment extended to 17 villages in Afrin’s Shara and Shirawa districts, causing widespread property destruction. Nearby villages in the Aleppo countryside, including Sayada, Awn al-Dadat, and al-Tukhar in Manbij, were also targeted by artillery and drone strikes, spreading panic among civilians and damaging homes and service facilities.
In Kobani, Turkish drones carried out seven bombings, including a direct hit on the city’s southern power station, leading to a complete blackout. Three members of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) were injured while inspecting the targeted sites. Additionally, the city’s main bakery was shelled, worsening the plight of residents who depend on it for their daily sustenance.
Attacks on Qamishli and Surrounding Areas
In Qamishli, drone strikes targeted Asayish centers in the al-Antariyah and Halko neighborhoods, along with a local dispensary and grain silos in al-Antariyah. The fuel distribution center in the Suez Canal neighborhood was also hit, disrupting fuel supplies and aggravating the region’s ongoing fuel crisis.
In the countryside of Derik (al-Malikiyah), Turkish aircraft conducted over 10 airstrikes on the village of Merka Mira and the surrounding areas of Qara Jokh Mountain. The strikes also hit the villages of Tabki, Kri Frei, and Bana Shakfati, causing widespread destruction of homes and critical service facilities.
This morning, a Turkish drone targeted an emergency electricity service center near Horm Sheikho village in Amuda, west of Qamishli, damaging the facility. Earlier, Turkish drones bombed an automatic bakery in the village of Hussein Rumi at Amuda’s eastern entrance.
Targeting of Oil and Electricity Facilities
In addition to the aerial bombardments, Turkish forces attacked oil and electricity stations in several parts of al-Qamishli. The Suwaydiyah oil station and its associated gas plant were hit, injuring a worker and causing significant damage. Other oil facilities, including the Tafla, al-Saidiya, and Odeh stations, were also targeted, disrupting oil production across the region.
Condemnation of Turkish Attacks
The Autonomous Administration in northern and eastern Syria condemned the Turkish attacks as war crimes and violations of international law. “Targeting infrastructure and civilians reflects the aggressive policies of the Turkish state, which is trying to export its internal crises to the region,” the administration stated. It urged the international community to take a firm stance against Turkey’s actions and stop the “policy of silence,” which it described as encouraging further aggression.
The administration also called on the international coalition and Russian forces, who control the region’s airspace, to assume responsibility and halt the attacks that are harming civilians and vital infrastructure.
Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), condemned the attacks as “indiscriminate and unjustified,” labeling them as war crimes in a Thursday tweet.
Escalating Instability
The recent Turkish attacks in northeastern Syria highlight the ongoing tensions in the region, with little international intervention to curb the violations. The escalation threatens to destabilize the region further, intensifying the suffering of the civilian population already caught in a siege, exacerbated by the closure of the Al-Yarubiyah/Tal Kojer crossing with Iraq by a 2020 UN Security Council resolution. The Turkish bombardment only adds to their plight.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
