Field fires in Manbij, Northern Syria, ignited by targeted artillery fire from the Turkish army and jihadist allies, have already destroyed 250 hectares of agricultural land since the beginning of the harvest season, says Talal al-Hamidi of the Manbij Fire Department Directorate.

The arson in northern Syria is one of the methods of Turkish warfare that violates international law. Agriculture is the main source of income in the region and is systematically attacked. In order to contain the damage caused by arson, more than 45,000 people in the self-governing areas are active as fire guards in the fields. Al-Hamidi also reports on security measures taken in Manbij to defend the cultivated areas.

"In addition to the regular emergency number of the fire brigade, we have set up a 24-hour hotline for reporting field fires. Our teams have been positioned so that they can reach even the most remote village in the region within ten minutes. Fire fighting in the villages north, west and south of Manbij is proving particularly difficult, al-Hamidi says and adds: "Too often we are targeted by Turkish soldiers and their proxies. In such cases, we may not reach the source of the fire in time."

Almost 40 arsons in 28 days

According to information available to ANF, in May alone almost forty agricultural areas were burned in the regions of Girê Spî, al-Bab, Ain Isa, Til Temir, Shehba, Shera, Sherawa and Kobanê. The fires affected dozens of villages and thousands of people.

The Turkish state and the ISIS have burned hundreds of thousands of hectares of land at harvest time in 2019 to damage the economy of the autonomous region.

RELATED NEWS: