“Euphrates Shield” area and its surroundings in September 2024 | Nearly 25 casualties in acts of violence…five infightings and explosions…ongoing security chaos

Since Turkish forces and their proxy factions captured several areas in Aleppo after a military operation known as “Euphrates Shield”, humanitarian crises have been emerging and worsening gradually, with violations, attacks and explosions occurring almost daily. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has monitored and tracked September’s prominent developments in these areas, which could be summarised in the following main points:

 

 

Human casualties

 

In September 2024, SOHR activists documented the death of nine people in areas under the control of Turkish forces and factions operating under the banner of “Euphrates Shield” operations room and their surroundings in the northern, eastern and north-eastern countryside of Aleppo. The fatalities’ breakdown is as follows:

 

-Five civilians:

 

• Four civilians were killed in indiscriminate gunfire and infightings.

 

• A civilian was murdered.

 

-Four combatants were killed in factional infightings.

 

SOHR also documented the injury of 14 people in acts of violence in “Euphrates Shield” area and its surroundings in September 2024.

 

The circumstances of the death of those civilians and combatants can be summarised as follows:

 

 

Civilians

 

• A young man was shot dead by two persons, including a minor, for unknown reasons. The victim’s body was dumped on Nabarah- Azaz road in the northern countryside of Aleppo.

 

• A young man was shot dead by border guards of the “National Army” in Kusa village in Jarabulus city in eastern Aleppo.

 

• A young man was killed in indiscriminate gunfire during clashes between gunmen of Al-Joubanat tribe and border guards in Jarabulus city in eastern Aleppo, after members of the border guards had killed a person from Al-Joubanat tribe.

 

• Two persons from “Al-Jisat” and “Al-Daktarat” tribes due two renewed retaliation between the two tribes in Jarabulus city.

 

 

Combatants

 

• Three members of the Border Guard Forces of the “National Army” were killed and others were injured in an attack carried out by members of Al-Joubanat tribe on the faction’s headquarters, known as “Maqar Al-Jabal,” in Jarabulus city, after members of the Border Guards had killed a person from Al-Joubanat tribe.

 

• A member of “Border Guards” of the Turkish-backed “National Army” was killed after being shot by another member of “Ahrar Al-Sham Islamic Movement” near the church in Jarablus eastern of Aleppo.

 

 

Arbitrary arrests and kidnaps

 

Also, in September, SOHR documented the arrest of three civilians and kidnapping of seven others, including a child. Here are further details:

 

 

Arrests

 

• members of “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah” stationed in Azaz city in the northern countryside of Aleppo arrested two civilians aged 47 and 40 from Bolbol district in Afrin countryside, while they were returning to their hometown from Lebanon. The whereabouts of the two civilians remains unknown.

 

• members of Al-Shat Checkpoint at the entrance of A’zaz City in northern Aleppo countryside arrested a civilian from Jinderes district in Efrin countryside while returning from Al-Bab City, where he works in trading olive oil. Charges pressed against him were not revealed.

 

 

Kidnaps

 

• An armed group of “Al-Sham Front” kidnapped a 15-year-old child in broad daylight in the centre of Izaz city in the northern countryside of Aleppo, while the fate of the child remains unknown.

 

• “Al-Sham Front” faction kidnapped a young man from Saraqib city in Idlib countryside, along with four other young men, on the pretext that they were trying to cross the Syrian-Turkish border illegally, and they were taken to a prison Sejjo in Izaz countryside, north of Aleppo. According to the information, the faction members demanded 6,000 USD for each person from the families of the kidnapped in exchange for their release.

 

• Unidentified gunmen intercepted a “merchant” near Zoghara Camp in Jarablus countryside eastern of Aleppo, where they threatened him with guns, burnt his car and kidnapped him to an unknown destination.

 

 

Infightings

 

In the past month, SOHR activists documented four infightings in “Euphrates Shield” area and its surroundings, which left six people, including three civilians, dead and a civilian and a member of the military police injured. Here are further details:

 

• September 6: Two members of he military police sustained various injuries during clashes among people from Mare’ following disputes between them in front of Abu Al-Zindayn crossing in Al-Bab countryside in eastern Aleppo. This coincided with the passing of a car carrying a commander of the military police branch.

 

• September 10: Three members of the Border Guard Forces of the “National Army” were killed and others were injured in an attack carried out by members of Al-Joubanat tribe on the faction’s headquarters, known as “Maqar Al-Jabal,” in Jarabulus city, after members of the Border Guards had killed a person from Al-Joubanat tribe.

 

• September 12: Violent clashes with light and medium weapons erupted between “Al-Jawaderah” and “Al-Dakarat” tribes in Jarabulus city in eastern Aleppo countryside due to old disputes between both sides. The clashes left a person injured, and he was taken to the hospital for treatment.

 

 

Explosions

 

“Euphrates Shield” area experienced one explosion in September, where an IED exploded in a car near Al-Othmaniyah park in Azaz city in the northern countryside of Aleppo, but no casualties were reported.

 

 

Military tension over disputes among factions and pressure exerted by Turkish authorities

 

“Euphrates Shield” area experienced considerable military tension and clashes between “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah” and “Liwaa Soqour Al-Shamal” on one hand, and the “joint forces” which comprised “Sultan Murad” Division and the 9^th Division on the other, as well as the closure of roads and deployment of armoured vehicles in Azaz city and villages in Afrin countryside.

 

This followed an attempt by Turkish forces to disband “Liwaa Soqour Al-Shamal” and force its members to hand over their weapons. Turkish forces then optioned the faction’s members to join the “joint forces” or to hand over their weapons and give up military career.

 

With pressure by Turkish forces, members of “Liwaa Soqour Al-Shamal” decided to join “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah” and refused to hand over their weapons or to join the “joint forces.” This angered Turkish authorities that ordered the “joint forces” to disband “Liwaa Soqour Al-Shamal” by force or by offering financial incentives to the faction’s commanders to spur them to split from the faction.

 

This came after “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah” and “Liwaa Soqour Al-Shamal” expressed their rejection of the opening of crossings with the Syrian regime and normalization of relations with the Syrian regime.

 

Turkish authorities try to impose a fait accompli policy in north Syria through exerting pressure on factions and residents to accept reconciliation with the Syrian regime with Russian mediation.

 

 

It seems that violations in “Euphrates Shield” area will not stop as long as Turkish forces and their proxies keep breaching all international laws and charters, while no party or international or regional player is exhibiting any willingness to put an end to these “grave” violations, despite SOHR repeated warnings about the dreadful humanitarian situation in the region.