Northern Syrian Christians on a mission to protect their villages

Over the course of Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring against Kurdish forces in northern Syria, Christian villages in Tel Tamr have been pummeled by Turkey and its aligned forces.

Syriac and Assyrian forces, part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have been assigned to protect Christian villagers in the area. 

"Erdogan-backed terrorists are 2 kilometers away from this village. You can hear their shelling and bombardment. We, as the Khabour Protection Forces, are spread across the Assyrian villages and are ready to defend our citizens from any attack, together with the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Syrian army," explained Assyrian fighter Carlos Ashuri. 

The Assyrian forces and the Syriac Military Council, a founding member of the SDF, assumed control for the security of the Khabour region on November 2. “In light of the continuous threats to the area and the existence of the Syriac-Assyrian people in it, we demand all concerned parties to activate the ceasefire agreement and end the military operations,” the Syriac Military Council stated on November 3.

Madelin is a mother of three. She left her children at home and joined the Assyrian forces to protect their village.

"We Assyrians are 17,000 people spread across the Jazira Region in northeastern Syria. Our villages were paradise on earth. Before Islamic State [ISIS] coming to the region, other differently named groups attacked our region. After the situation calmed down, we were living peacefully. Life was somehow good. Now, Turkey is coming and repeating the same history. They want to return the mess and conflicts to northeast Syria,” she said. 

Most Christians fled the 33 villages they had inhabited in the Tel Tamr region during Islamic State's onslaught in 2014. 

Nabil Warda, spokesperson for Assyrian force, provides details for their employment in the area: "Our forces have been deployed in eight villages. They’ve come to the region to oversee the situation. Thanks to God, the situation of the villages is calm. They’ve also welcomed displaced people from Sari Kani who have come to the Assyrian villages." 

Conflicts took place in six Tel Tamr villages on Sunday, November 3. Three people were killed and four injured. One of the dead was Zau Seng, a member of an international humanitarian organization the Free Burma Rangers.

Reporting by Roj Eli Zalla in Tel Tamr

Translation by Sarkawt Mohammed