Turkey Escalates Attacks in Rojava
Kongra Star, the leading federation of the women’s movement in Rojava, has published a report and statement on Turkey’s escalating attacks over the past two weeks. The following is an excerpt from their report, originally published at Women Defend Rojava.
In the last days, Turkey intensified its attacks on North and East Syria. The attacks targeted villages, a school, civilians, women, children and members of legitimate self-defense forces. For years, the Turkish state has launched several occupation offensives in the area of North and East Syria, as well as a series of attacks against Shingal, the home of the Yezidi people. The Turkish state wants to destroy the project of self-administration and the achievements of the women’s revolution. These attacks are as well aimed to expand Turkish territory and to continue the genocidal politics towards the local population. Turkish violations and crimes have continued throughout its occupation of Jarablus, Al-Bab, Azaz and Afrin, to Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ain) and Girê Spî (Tal Abyad). Near the anniversary of the October attacks on Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî, the Turkish state once again increased its attacks on North and East Syria. Despite the commitment of the Syrian Democratic Forces in North and East Syria to honor the ceasefire in the region, the Turkish state has failed to uphold this treat. On the contrary, it has increased its attacks on the region in general and the areas to the east of the Euphrates in particular. In this short dossier, we give an overview over the attacks on North and East Syria that took place over a two-week period.
Statistical overview of the damage caused by occupation forces in the last two weeks only:
• 2 children and 1 woman killed by artillery fire
• at least 19 civilians got wounded by artillery fire
• 4 targeted drone strikes
• 5 members of legitimate self-defense forces got killed and 1 wounded
• 2 administrative workers of the House of Wounded got injured
• about 30 villages and city were hit by Turkey or Turkish Mercenaries, causing many people to flee
• about 39 civilians got abducted in Afrin by Turkish Mercenaries and Turkish Intelligence Service
• at least 34 people fled occupied Afrin and found refugee in Şeba canton
• 19 people got abducted and heavily tortured at the boarder, at least 7 of them children
• 1 person got killed by torture by Turkish soldiers
• 1 child and 1 woman got raped by Turkish soldiers after trying to cross the boarder