Turkish artillery shell northern Syria over midnight

Turkish armed forces shelled several villages over midnight near Amude, Abu Rasin and Tal Tamr.

Turkish artillery firing at a target (Photo: Turkish Defense Ministry)
Turkish artillery firing at a target (Photo: Turkish Defense Ministry)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Turkish armed forces shelled several villages over midnight near Amude, Abu Rasin and Tal Tamr in the Hasakah province, a war monitor reported on Sunday.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that after midnight of Saturday-Sunday, “artillery shells were fired from inside the Turkish territory targeting a checkpoint of the Internal Security forces in Chouleh village, a post in Hamdoun village in the countryside of Amuda town and Rotan and Tel Ziwan villages in Al-Hasakah province, coinciding with the flight of drones in the air.”

SOHR also reported that Turkish forces and their proxies fired shells on Khadrawi, Bobi, Asadiyah, Noueyhat, Um Al-Keif, Tawilah, Al-Kozaliyah and Dardarah villages in Abu Rasein and Tel Tamer countryside. However, no casualties were reported.

In Oct. 2019, the Turkish army and their affiliated Syrian rebel groups launched a military operation that pushed the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from the border towns of Ras al-Ain (Serekaniye) and Tal Abyad. 

Despite separate ceasefire agreements in Oct. 2019 between the Turkish government and Russia, as well as between the Turkish government and the United States, to halt the fighting between the Turkish army and the SDF, Turkish shelling, drone and airstrikes continue.

Read More: SDF-linked force kill six Turkish-backed fighters near Tal Tamr

On Nov. 2, six members of the al-Hamza Division were killed after the SDF targeted their outpost near a Turkish base in the countryside of Abu Rasin (Zirgan in Kurdish) in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province.

Human Rights Watch in a report on Saturday said that between October 5 and 10, 2023, Turkish drone strikes on Kurdish-held areas of northeast Syria killed at least 11 civilians and injured many more.

Moreover, Human Rights Watch documented three attacks by Turkish forces in late January 2018 which killed 26 civilians, including 17 children.

"Turkey (Türkiye) should thoroughly investigate strikes that killed or injured civilians and provide adequate redress, where appropriate, to victims or their families," HRW said. "It should hold to account those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law arising from such attacks."