Turkish forces bombard northeast Syria’s Tal Tamr

Turkish forces “showered” the villages and a power station in the Tal Tamr countryside with “artillery and rocket shells”
Turkish artillery firing at a target (Photo: Turkish Defense Ministry)
Turkish artillery firing at a target (Photo: Turkish Defense Ministry)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Turkish forces shelled villages in the countryside of Hasakah’s Tal Tamr in northeast Syria on Sunday, the Syria-based North Press agency reported

The Turkish forces fired dozens of artillery rounds and mortar shells at the villages of Tel Shanan, Tel Juma, and al-Gheibish, a military source from the Tal Tamr Military Council of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) told North Press. Turkish drones were flying overhead during the bombardments. 

Furthermore, the Turkish forces bombarded Tel al-Ward, Kirbet al-Sha’ir, and Rabi’at villages in the Abu Rasin countryside north of Hasakah. 

North Press noted that Turkish forces and their Syrian militia proxies have been shelling Tal Tamr villages for four days now. On Friday, an SDF fighter belonging to the Syriac Military Council was wounded by shelling on Dardara village.

The Syria-based Rojava Information Center (RIC) tweeted that the shelling has led “to the injury of Liwy Hemad (20), Redwan Tihêmi (30) & Eymen Ehmed (25), 3 farmers from Tel Cuma.”

It also pointed out that the bombardments started fires in local crop fields.

SDF spokesperson Aram Hanna, previously with the Syriac Military Council, called on the international community to halt these attacks.

“He also stressed their forces were ready to defend themselves if needed,” RIC tweeted.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) war monitor also reported the shelling on Sunday. Turkish forces “showered” the villages and a power station in the Tal Tamr countryside with “artillery and rocket shells,” read the report. 

Furthermore, according to SOHR activists, SDF fighters belonging to the Tal Tamr Military Council “have staged a counter-attack by shelling positions of Turkish faction in Arishah village in ‘Peace Spring’ areas.” 

The Peace Spring areas refer to the swath of northern Syrian border territory Turkey and its Syrian militia proxies invaded and occupied in Operation Peace Spring in October 2019. During that cross-border offensive, Turkey and the militias captured Tal Abyad and Serekaniye and several villages.