Death toll rises as Syrian ceasefire fails

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Despite a ceasefire agreement between Turkey and the US agreed last night, seven civilians were killed and more than 21 injured due to Turkish shelling in the border town of Sari Kani (Ras al-Ain).

On Thursday night, after five hours of negotiations, Turkey and the US, with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), reached a ceasefire agreement to halt Operation Peace Spring, now in its ninth day, into Kurdish-controlled territories in Northern Syria. The Operation aims to rid the northeastern region of the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) and resettle up to 3 million Syrian refugees living in Turkey.

The agreement has been interpreted differently, with Kurds arguing that it means ceasefire, but no withdrawal, while Turkey and the US say it means that Kurdish fighters have to retreat 32 kilometers into Syria and abandon heavy weapons.

Mustafa Bali, a spokesperson of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in a Friday tweet revealed that Turkish operation has not halted.

“Despite the agreement to halt the fighting, air and artillery attacks continue to target the positions of fighters, civilian settlements and the hospital in Sari Kani. Turkey is violating the ceasefire agreement by continuing to attack the town since last night,” said Bali.

The renewal in hostilities has come at a bloody cost, as at least 7 civilians were killed due to Turkish attacks, a war monitor reported.

“The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented the martyrdom of 7 civilians and the injury of at least 21 more with varying degrees of  injuries as a result of airstrikes conducted by Turkish military jets on the countryside of Ras al-Ain,” the UK-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said in a report on Friday.

SOHR further reported that clashes also continued between Turkish backed groups and the SDF. The war monitor reported that there are 38 injured individuals trapped inside Sari Kani, which is currently besieged by Turkish-backed groups.

On Friday, a Kurdish Red Crescent convoy accompanying civilians and the US NGO Free Burma Rangers tried to go into Sari Kani and evacuate the injured, but they were prevented from traveling by the Turkish-backed forces. 

“The factions [of Turkish backed-opposition] deliberately targeted the convoy parked close to one of the entrances to Ras al-Ain city from the Tel Tamr town side,” SOHR said.

Rudaw's reporter on the ground in Tel Tamr hospital reported that 10 civilians have been brought to the under-equipped hospital since last night.

"For four days, we haven't been able to evacuate the injured from Sari Kani. The number we have is that there are 30 to 40 injured. Their lives are in danger. Some of them die daily," Dr. Juwan Mustafah, co-chair of the Health Authority of Northern and Northeastern Syria, told Rudaw.

"When the ceasefire was announced, we as a health delegation, wished to evacuate the injured. Our health teams are near the city. They want to enter. However, because of the continuous fighting in and around the city, they haven't been able to enter," added Mustafah.

Rudaw saw civilians who accompanied the delegation return empty handed as they were prevented from entering the town.

“We returned because there was shelling and shooting. The road was closed,” a civilian who returned told Rudaw. 

On October 13, a civilian convoy accompanied by foreign and local journalists heading to support Sari Kani from Tel Tamr were shelled by Turkey, killing scores of people and at least one journalist. 

According to Rudaw’s reporter on the ground in Rojava, all roads leading to the border town, which has held on despite fearless fighting, have been closed by Turkish-backed groups.

• SHARE ON
• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Whatsapp
• Share on Telegram
• Share on Viber
• Share on Messenger