Report on the situation in the areas of al-Shahba, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods
In light of the rapid developments in Aleppo and the control of Jabhat al-Nusra – classified on international terrorism lists – in cooperation with Turkish occupation mercenaries after the withdrawal of the Damascus government forces and the Russian troops from Aleppo and other areas affiliated with it, we at the Rojava Center for Strategic Studies communicated with some human rights activists and politicians residing in the Shahba regions.
Ibrahim Sheikho – a member of the Human Rights Organization Afrin
Mr. Ibrahim Sheikho stated that despite the commitments of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, they have begun, together with Turkish occupation mercenaries, to attack the Afrin Liberation Forces. Clashes occurred last night between the Afrin Liberation Forces on one side and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and Turkish occupation mercenaries on the other. These clashes have stopped, and discussions about negotiations and evacuating civilians from the area have commenced. Sheikho confirmed that there are 100,000 civilians who have been displaced from Afrin due to the Turkish occupation’s invasion of the city in 2018, and they are now also being forced to flee from their displacement areas in Shahba due to attacks from Turkish occupation mercenaries and Jabhat al-Nusra.
Mohammed Amin Aliko – a member of the Democratic Union Party in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood
He confirmed that the resistance of the people continues in Shahba, as they are in the same trench with the military forces, but today the Turkish occupation, with all its military equipment and its mercenaries, attacked the city of Tal Rifaat and its countryside, opening more than one front in that area. However, the resistance continues, and there are many mercenary deaths in that region. These mercenaries commit massacres and crimes against the civilians in any area they enter, operating under a mentality inherited from the Ottomans that persists to this day, living on the blood of peoples. There is information about summary executions carried out by Turkish occupation mercenaries, specifically in the areas of Tal Rifaat, and there are prisoners who have also been martyred at the hands of these mercenaries, as they commit inhumane acts in the areas they enter.
As for the neighborhoods of Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud, they are besieged, and the people in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh have decided to resist. The situation there reflects nothing more than what has been stated in the statements of the Syrian Democratic Forces since yesterday. However, a special systematic war is being waged against the people in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh. The people there are living their lives normally, but there is a water problem as it has been cut off from both neighborhoods, and there is a communication issue between residents due to the network being disconnected from these two neighborhoods. I want to highlight the conditions of the displaced people from Shahba who are sleeping in the open in this bitter cold, many of whom are elderly and children. If the international community does not take any steps, the Kurds – whether in Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, or Shahba – will face mass massacres, and the region is heading towards losing many lives due to the harsh cold, leading towards more massacres.
Jibraeel Mustafa – a member of the Human Rights Organization in Afrin
Mr. Jibraeel spoke about the crimes that have been committed and confirmed that Turkish occupation mercenaries are besieging the displaced people who fled from Shahba between Fafin and the al-Ahdath under the bitter cold, committing atrocities in Tal Rifaat. He also confirmed that there are cases of beheadings carried out by Turkish occupation mercenaries, such as the beheading of Mustafa Shiye, as well as executions of prisoners and the presence of wounded individuals. These violations continue to this moment. He confirmed that in Burj al-Qaas, Turkish occupation mercenaries entered, killed two people, dragged the corpse of one of them behind their vehicle in the village, and burned all Kurdish homes and shops. They also arrest anyone associated with or working for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. Mr. Jibraeel also noted that the al-Ahdath crossing has opened and that they are headed towards Aleppo, not knowing where their destination will be afterward.
