Afrin refugees: Turkish shelling, Russian silence endanger the lives of civilians

IDPs of Afrin, living in Tal Rifat district, indicated that the Turkish occupation’s goal of targeting civilians in al-Shahba canton is to empty the area of its population and expand its occupation area, and hold the Russian and Syrian forces responsible for what the occupation practices against the displaced people of Afrin in al-Shahba.

23 November, 2020 05:16

AL-SHAHBA , FERAS IBRAHIM

Afrin refugees, staying in al-Shahba canton's villages are being Intermittently targeted with heavy weapons by Turkish occupation and its gangs from their positions in Azaz, Marea and Afrin, where the villages of Belouniya, Maranaz, Sheikh Issa, Shuragha and Qalaat including villages in Sherawa district have been directly shelled with aiming to displace its people, in front of the sight of the Russian and Syrian forces, who consider themselves the guarantors of the region.

Since the people of Afrin were forcibly displaced from their homes to the al-Shahba areas, the Turkish occupation continues to violate the rights of the displaced in the camps and semi-destroyed homes.

The population of Tal Rifaat district of Afrin and al-Shahba residents is more than 20 thousand citizens, as the occupation endangers their lives by directly targeting them with internationally banned missiles.

In this context, the people of Afrin, living in the Tal Rifaat district, expressed their rejection of the immoral Turkish occupation against civilians and the violation of international laws regarding the displaced, holding the Russian and Syrian forces responsible for the violations that are taking place before their eyes and still remains silent.

The co-chair of Tel-Rifat District Council, Mohammed Hanan has confirmed that the Turkish occupation targets IDPs of Afrin who are residing in al-Shahba canton, in particular the Tel-Rifat district occasionally, which poses a threat to the lives of 20 thousand civilians from the Deportees of Afrin and the people of al-Shahba.

Mohammad Hanan noted: “There are bases for the Russian forces in the area of Tal Rifaat and the surrounding villages, which consider themselves the guarantors of the area, they are wandering around Tal Rifaat through patrols without moving a finger in the face of the continuous bombardment by the occupation army and its mercenaries.

He asked about the Russian silence about what the Turkish occupation is practicing against the displaced in al-Shahba, stressing that “the people of Afrin living in al-Shahba canton no longer trust the Russian and Syrian forces because they could not protect the people of Afrin who are in al-Shahba.”

For her part, citizen Amina Suleiman said: "The Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries continue to commit massacres against us in al-Shahba since our displacement from our homes, they target us intensively On a daily basis.

As for the citizen Mohammad Ismail, he called on humanitarian and international organizations: "to immediately intervene to limit the practices of the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries in al-Shahba canton in light of the difficult conditions that the people are suffering from on the one hand and on the other hand the siege imposed by the Syrian government on the region."

T/S

ANHA