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Syria
Syrians throw stones towards Turkish military vehicles during a Turkish-Russian army patrol near the town of Darbasiyah on November 11, 2019. Photo: Delil Souleiman/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Several civilians were killed on Tuesday while protesting a Turkish-Russian military convoy in the town of Kobane, according to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The patrol was the fifth to take place in the area and was met by locals hurling stones at the passing tanks.
On the same day, hundreds of Kobane locals gathered in Women's Square to protest the Turkish invasion.
“Turkish army is firing live bullets on Kurdish protesters and killing them in broad day light [sic], before [the] eyes of the whole world, “ said SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali in a tweet.
Turkey described the demonstrations as a “provocation”, claiming it took precautions for the sake of the safety of civilians against “terrorist” protesters.
“The fifth Turkish-Russian joint land patrol conducted in the Ayn al-Arab [Kobane] region east of the Euphrates is continuing with due care and diligence for the safety of both civilians and our military personnel despite provocation by terrorists,” said a statement by Turkey’s defense ministry.
Footage from the scene showed men and women of various ages throwing stones at the Russian-Turkish convoy.
“Long live the resistance of the SDF,” said a female protester.
Another video showed an elderly woman throwing stones at the convoy, saying that they will not bow to the Turkish invasion.
“We as mothers and people of Kobane do not want Erdogan to step on our soil and the blood of our children. We will attack with stones as long as we can and we do,” she said.
On the same day, hundreds of Kobane locals gathered in Women's Square to protest the Turkish invasion.
Protesters chanted against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"Mr Trump....Erdogan is the successor of Baghdadi" could be heard, reported SDF-affiliated ANHA news outlet.
"We will resist any agreement aimed at our existence, our dignity and our identity" they chanted.
Previous joint patrols involving both military vehicles and drones have also been held in Darbasiya, Qamishli and Malikiya (Derik) since November 1. The Tuesday patrol is the second to take place in Kobane.
A Turkish armored vehicle reportedly ran over a Kurdish man in a patrol in Malikiya, killing the 25-year old.
Turkey wants to establish a buffer zone in northern Syria to resettle millions of Syrian who have fled to Turkey since the civil war began in 2011. It launched Operation Peace Spring on October 9, with a land invasion led by Syrian proxy forces.
In the framework of its deal with Russia, Turkey agreed on October 22 to pause Operation Peace Spring in order for the SDF to pull back from the border, which would be patrolled jointly by Turkey and Russia. The SDF was not a party to the ceasefire negotiations.
However, Kurdish officials have accused Turkey and its Syrian proxies of war crimes and violating ceasefire deals made with Russia and the US.
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