For months, the Turkish occupation forces have been attacking the villages around Ayn Issa with artillery shells on a daily basis. Time and time again, ground troops from the mercenary alliance set up by Turkey, the Syrian National Army (SNA), try to penetrate the villages. The attacks have already razed six villages to the ground. The Turkish state is targeting the civilian population and systematically committing war crimes. The villages of Hoşan, Muelek, Xalidiyê, Mişêrfa, Cehbel, Seyda and Dibis are particularly targeted by attackers due to their strategic location on the M4 highway.

"Our house burned down completely"

The village of Dibis is located about twelve kilometres south of Ayn Issa, directly on the Syrian east-west M4 highway. Despite all the attacks, the village was not abandoned. Residents told ANF that they are determined to keep their village no matter what. The village is repeatedly shot at from a Turkish base about a kilometre away. Many houses have now been destroyed. One of these houses was that of Fatima and her children. She said: “In the middle of the night mortar shells hit our houses. Our house burned down completely. We say enough is enough. We want to live safely in our own houses and in our village. We and our children do not want to live in fear. What does Erdoğan want from us and our children?”

"The Turkish state came and peace went"

Villager Ain Mihemmed Isa narrowly surivived the Turkish attacks. He said: “Suddenly they [the Turkish army] attacked us with artillery. We didn't understand what was happening. They shot us with a tank. Everything we have was destroyed. Before the Turkish state attacked our country, we lived safely in our village. With the arrival of the Turkish troops, we were left with no security or peace in our village. They moved in and set up a base across from our village. From there they attack us with artillery. We want this to stop. We want to live peacefully in our villages and houses."

"If we move, they shoot"

Ayşe Mihemmed said that her disabled daughter's condition is deteriorating as a result of the attacks. She added: “The mental state of our children is getting worse and worse. My daughter is disabled and her condition is getting worse from these attacks. She sustained a head injury in the last attack. We don't know what to do anymore. They are right in front of us, they always shoot when we move. They don't let us live in peace in our own village. "

Attacks aimed at emptying the region

The Turkish army tries to prepare for an invasion and annexation of the region through these bombings. The civilian population is to be expelled in order to subsequently replace it with loyalist settlers. These attacks violates the ceasefire signed with Russia. Russia, as the guarantor power, is not doing anything against the attacks and is playing an equally cynical game with the civilian population. The people are de facto taken hostage in order to force the handover of the autonomously administrated areas to the Assad regime. Turkey is obviously playing the role of leverage for Russia.