YPJ Public Office
The Turkish occupation forces and their terrorist armed militias continue committing flagrant violations and crimes, which unequivocally breach international and humanitarian law. These actions continue to inflict immense suffering on Syrian civilians and result in extensive damage to their properties within Syrian territories.
This disturbing escalation represents a blatant and desperate attempt to suppress and displace the remaining indigenous population, serving the purpose of advancing their project of demographic change while solidifying their occupation.
The Turkish occupation forces, along with their affiliated militias, continue to employ excessive force against innocent civilians, with cities and towns in the countryside of Al-Shahba, Al-Hasakah, and Al-Raqqa, including the occupied Afrin region, becoming targets of their aggression. Moreover, they arbitrarily arrested numerous civilians under various unjustifiable excuses, confiscated their properties, and transformed these once-thriving places into isolated colonies.
Furthermore, the Turkish-backed armed groups persist in conducting a wave of arrests and kidnappings against innocent civilians. The Afrin region has witnessed a disturbing surge in unjustified violence, crimes, arbitrary arrests, and kidnappings. Lootings have become rampant, affecting various aspects of civilian life, including confiscating homes and properties, agricultural produce like olives, sumac, grains, and summer fruits, as well as logging activities. The population is enduring daily harassment and is being subjected to kidnappings for ransom.
In addition to these atrocities, the Turkish-backed militias show complete disregard for the sanctity of religious sites. They have been sacrilegiously targeting religious cemeteries and shrines in occupied Afrin, desecrating graves through exhumations and bulldozing, without any respect for human values or religious laws.
The following are the documented outcomes of Turkish violations during July, but they represent only the tip of the iceberg. Numerous crimes are committed daily, but they often go undocumented due to the media blackout imposed by the Turkish occupation forces in the occupied territories.
The documented violations include:
- Ground attacks, artillery, tanks, and mortar shelling: 556 attacks
- Infiltration attempts by mercenaries on the frontlines: 1 attempt
- Provocations by mercenaries: 1 incident
- Airspace violations: 58 incidents
- UAV attacks: 10 attacks, 7 of which were carried out by the Turkish occupation army, and 3 were suicide attacks by its mercenaries.
- Kidnapped civilians: A total of 44 civilians were kidnapped, including four elderly people, three women, a child, and a minor girl.
- Rape case: One reported case of rape against an underage girl.
- Assaults: Two assaults were documented.
- Royalties: There were 11 reported instances of royalties.
- Property thefts: Property theft occurred 7 times.
- Settlements built within the policy of demographic change: Five new settlements were constructed as part of the policy of demographic change.
- Antiquities stolen: There were two reported incidents of stolen antiquities.
- Sacrilege of religious symbols and shrines: One shrine was desecrated.
- Civilians run over by cars: Tragically, one civilian was killed in a car accident.
- Deforestation: A total of 208 trees were cut down.
- Arson committed: Arson was engaged thrice, resulting in approximately 250 fruitful olive trees being set on fire.
- SDF martyrs: Nine SDF fighters were martyred, including one martyr from the Internal Security Forces.
- The number of wounded SDF fighters: Twelve SDF fighters were wounded.
- The number of civilian martyrs: One civilian was killed.
- The number of wounded civilians: Two civilians were injured.
- Number of killed soldiers of the Damascus government forces: One soldier from the Damascus government forces was killed.
- Number of wounded soldiers of the Damascus government forces: Eight soldiers from the Damascus government forces were wounded.
The details are as follows:
Rape Case:
In a distressing incident, an armed member of the so-called “Al-Hamza Division” named “Muhammad Jumaa” committed a heinous act of rape against a 13-year-old Kurdish girl named “Hanifa Mulla Muhammad” in the village of “Juqa/Juwayq” located in the center of Afrin.
The appalling details reveal that “Muhammad Waheed Jumaa,” posing as a humanitarian aid provider, kidnapped the young girl from her family’s home in the village of “Juqa/Juwayq,” which is part of the city of Afrin. He later returned her to her family after subjecting her to the horrifying ordeal of rape. Following the crime, he fled to the city of “Jenderes” and sought refuge among his family in the town of “Ainjara” in the countryside of western Aleppo.
This criminal “Muhammad” took advantage of the vulnerable state of the girl’s blind and elderly father, aged 93, and her mother, who is reported to have mental health problems, according to the villagers’ accounts.
Suicides:
The Kurdish girl, Hasna Bahjat Ramadan, 16 years old, committed suicide. She is from the occupied city of Afrin and resides in the Ashrafieh neighborhood in the center of Afrin.
Demographic Change Processes:
As part of the ongoing processes of demographic change aimed at Turkifying the occupied Afrin region and solidifying the occupation, the Turkish authorities constructed a 5 km long cement wall in the villages of the “Shirawa” district. The purpose of this wall is to isolate the district from the villages beyond its control. Stretching from the village of “Kemar” in the north to the village of “Brad” in the south, both within the “Shirawa” district under Turkish control, the wall was built using massive concrete blocks imported from Turkey.
Antiquities Theft:
The Turkish occupation forces persist in their theft of antiquities in the Afrin region. One such incident involved the archaeological hill “A-Dam” in the “Sharra/Sharran” district, situated to the east of the city of Afrin. The Turkish forces bulldozed and excavated the hill with the sole intention of pilfering valuable finds and artifacts.
Approximately 1.16 hectares of the hill’s surface, including the Acropolis and the lower city, fell victim to these destructive excavations. Unfortunately, the extent of artifacts extracted from the ancient hill and their fate remains unknown, as the Turkish occupation authorities and their loyal militia groups continue to withhold such information. The loss of these invaluable cultural heritage items is a grave concern, and proper measures must be taken to protect and preserve the region’s historical treasures.
Destruction of Religious Symbols:
The violations by the Turkish occupation authorities and their affiliated terrorist factions in the Afrin region continue to mar the sanctity of cemeteries and religious shrines. These militias show no regard for human values and religious laws as they persist in the desecration of sacred sites. In a recent incident, they targeted the shrine of “Sheikh Hamid” and the surrounding graves belonging to the people of the Yazidi religion in the village of “Qastal Jindu” in the “Sharra/Sharran” district.
Run-over Case:
Tragically, Fayez Ali al-Hajju, a 25-year-old from the village of Kafifa, located 20 km southwest of the city of Girê Spi (occupied by Turkey and its mercenaries), has passed away. He succumbed to the injuries he sustained after being run over by a military armored vehicle belonging to the Turkish occupation forces.
Attacks with heavy weapons:
The Turkish occupation forces conducted several attacks with heavy weapons, causing significant harm to civilians and properties in various areas.
In the eastern countryside of the town of “Ain Issa,” the Turkish occupation bombed the house of “Abu Ismail,” resulting in extensive material damage to his property.
In the vicinity of Kobani, near “Newroz” Square, an ambulance crew fell victim to a direct targeting by the Turkish occupation, leading to injuries for two of its members, “Suzdar Mustafa Othman” (30 years old) and “Muslim Nabi Usu” (25 years old). Both were promptly transferred to hospitals in the city of Kobani for treatment.
Additionally, the village of “Bineh/Ibin” in the “Shirawa” district became a target of Turkish occupation bombardments, leading to injuries for “Hevin Hamo Shrou” (20 years old), who sustained shrapnel wounds in her foot due to the attack carried out by Turkish occupation forces stationed in the village of “Jalbara/Jalber.”
Furthermore, the village of “Muzn/Al-Zouq Al-Kabir” in the “Shirawa” district was subjected to heavy weapon bombing, resulting in injuries for a 14-year-old child named “Muhammad Khalil.”
The Turkish occupation also attacked a military point belonging to the Damascus government forces in the vicinity of the village of “Bineh/Ibin Tufi” in the “Shirawa” district, causing injuries to three soldiers.
In the center of the “Tal Rifaat” district in the Al-Shahba areas, the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries targeted a water tanker supplying water to forcibly displaced people from Afrin. The driver, “Azad Hussein Kul Dadu” (35 years old) from the village of “Jalo” in “Raju” district, sustained injuries as a result of the heavy weapon bombing.
Moreover, the village of “Tal Al-Laban” in the “Tal Tamir” district also faced heavy weapon bombing, resulting in injuries for three citizens: “Omar Sadiq Sheikh Ali,” “Mahmoud Muhammad Al-Mayouf,” and “Ahmed Ali Muhammad.” They were transferred to the hospital of “Lekerin” in the Tal Tamir district.
UAVs Attacks:
The Turkish occupation army persistently violates the airspace of NE Syria, utilizing warplanes and UAVs to target both civilian and military locations, including cars on public roads. These attacks have resulted in the loss of lives among our fighters and civilians. The warplane violations alone have reached 58, while the drones targeted areas 10 times, with 7 of those attacks conducted by the Turkish occupation army and 3 by its mercenaries. Disturbingly, the use of suicide drones in these attacks has been reported.
Here are some specific incidents:
In the village of “Hassan Agha,” south of the city of Manbij, a civilian car fell victim to a drone attack, resulting in the minor injury of the civilian, “Ahmed Al-Jassem.”
On the road between the village of “Khazna” and the town of “Tal Maarouf,” two cars were targeted by Turkish occupation drones, leading to the deaths of three individuals and leaving two others with minor injuries.
In the village of “Khirbet Khoy” in the “Amouda” area, the Turkish occupation drones carried out an attack that resulted in the deaths of four fighters from the Self-Defense Duty Forces.
The al-Shahba areas also faced aggressive targeting by the Turkish occupation drones. Notably, the center of the “Tal Rifaat” district sustained damage to civilian property due to one such attack.
Meanwhile, a suicide drone employed by the Turkish occupation targeted a military point in the “Menagh” military airport within the “Sharra/Sharran” district. Tragically, this attack caused the death of one member of the Syrian regime forces and left six others with serious injuries.
Water Supply Disruption:
Amidst the prevailing drought in Syria and the region, along with soaring temperatures and limited access to drinking water sources, a dire situation has unfolded. Since June 27, the Turkish occupation has persisted in cutting off the water supply to Al-Hasakah city by halting the operations of the Alouk water station in the countryside of Sere Kaniye/Ras Al-Ain, located in the northern region of Al-Hasakah. This water station serves as the sole source of drinking water for over a million civilians residing in the city of Al-Hasakah and its suburbs, as well as the town of “Tal Tamir” and its surrounding villages.
Since Turkish forces and their loyal factions took control of the “Sere Kaniye/Ras al-Ain” area, the water pumping from the Alouk station has been subjected to frequent control and disruptions. This situation exacerbates the already existing hardships faced by the population, forcing them to seek primitive and often costly solutions, such as digging wells or purchasing water at exorbitant prices, which have doubled in recent times.
Killed civilians:
A disturbing attempt on the life of the grandson of the “Peshmerga” family, who happens to be the only survivor of the Newroz massacre in Jenderes, took place recently. On 07/23/2023, members of the “Al-Sharqiya Army” militias, associated with the so-called “Syrian National Army” operating under the orders of the Turkish occupation and its so-called “temporary government,” carried out a violent attack.
The armed group targeted a barber shop in the town of “Jenderes/Jenderes,” where the young man “Nazmi Ashraf Othman” (19 years old) worked. They viciously beat him with a piece of brick on his back and attempted to run him over with a military vehicle, all while shouting menacingly, “This is the price.” The car tire tragically ran over his arm, resulting in paralysis and severe physical and psychological trauma.
Nazmi Ashraf Othman was rushed to a hospital in the town of Atmeh for urgent medical treatment. This heinous act of violence has caused immense suffering and deeply impacted the young man’s life and well-being.
SDF Media Center
August 5, 2023
