Turkish-backed groups shell Kurdish-held areas in northern Syria, casualties reported

Four civilians including a woman were wounded in intensive bombardment by Turkish-backed groups on the eastern countryside of Syria’s northeast town of Serekaniye, local sources said on Wednesday.

QAMISHLI (Kurdistan 24) – Four civilians including a woman were wounded in intensive bombardment by Turkish-backed groups on the eastern countryside of Syria’s northeast town of Serekaniye, local sources said on Wednesday.

Turkish-backed radical groups hit the town of Zirgan, also known as Abu Rasein, about 20 kilometers east of Serekaniye, by mortar shells, which wounded several civilians and destroyed dozens of houses, locals in Zirgan told Kurdistan 24.

“Amid the curfew imposed to stop any spread of coronavirus, we are suffering from shelling by Turkish forces and their allied Syrian militant groups, so where shall we go?” Abu Mohammad, a civilian from Zirgan, said.

The wounded were transferred to a hospital in the town of Tal Tamir, about 30 kilometers south of Serekaniye.

The towns of Abu Rasein and Tal Tamir are held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in addition to the presence of Syrian regime forces and Russian troops together against the Turkish-backed radical groups which controlled a belt of 150 kilometers long and 30 kilometers deep from the towns of Serakaniye to Tal Abyad in northern Syria in an offensive launched in October 2019.

A few days ago, Turkish-backed groups also shelled the town of Ain Issa, north of Raqqa, with no casualties reported.

Additionally, Turkish-backed armed opposition groups targeted the western countryside of Manbij town in northwest Syria with over 30 shells, causing huge material damage, Syria-based North Press agency reported.

Manbij town is held by the Manbij Military Council forces, an SDF ally, in addition to Syrian government forces in the countryside after a deal, following Turkish attacks in October, between the SDF and the Syrian regime sponsored by Russia to allow the latter to deploy troops in the SDF-held areas of Manbij, Kobani, Tal Tamir, and several towns on Syria’s border with Turkey.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany