The Rojava Information Centre (RIC) compiled a detailed report on the 18 locations hit by the Turkish state on Christmas day in Northern and Eastern Syria. 

The locations attacked by Turkey included factories producing construction materials, agricultural products and foods, grain silos, a mill, industrial sites, a dialysis center, a printing house and a petrol station. There were a total of 32 strikes, according to RIC.

These attacks came less than 3 months after a 5-day Turkish airstrike campaign destroyed Northern and Eastern Syria’s power infrastructure, cutting electricity and water for over 1 million people.

Turkey’s strikes kill 8 civilians and wound 11 – the death toll may rise as some people are injured critically, said RIC in its report.

Turkish airstrikes killed a total of 8 civilians – Berivan Mihemed, Riyad Hemo, Fares al-Fares, Ferhan Teme, Hussein Ehmed, Renas Hussein, Ferhan Khelef and Aya al-Sabawi – and injured 11, adding to the 1 injured on the 23.

The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) have upped their shelling along the contact lines separating the Democratic Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria-governed areas from the Turkish- occupied areas of NES, striking villages around Shehba and Manbij.

Background

Turkey’s campaign of airstrikes against Northern and Eastern Syria has been ongoing since the 2019 invasion, killing hundreds of civilians to date.

RIC provided the following background to the attacks carried out on Christmas day.

"At the beginning of October, Turkey embarked on a 5-day airstrike assault, systematically hitting NES’ electricity, gas and oil facilities, causing extensive infrastructural and economic damage and worsening the already-fragile humanitarian situation in NES, as reported by RIC.

-On the 23rd of December, in the mountains of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), the militant Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) conducted operations against Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) positions, killing at least 12 Turkish soldiers; Turkish President Erdogan referred to the attacks as “terrorist” and vowed revenge; on the night of the 23rd, the TAF proceeded to strike oil and gas infrastructure sites in NES, cutting power from electrical substations serving half the Jazira canton and injuring one civilian; the Turkish Ministry of Defence announced these airstrikes were “against terrorist targets” for the purpose of “border security”

-Two days later – on Christmas day – Turkey carried out an intense string of airstrikes from 10:00 until 21:00 local time, mostly focused on Qamishlo city but also including the cities of Amude, Kobane, and Tirbespi, systematically targeting more essential civilian infrastructure, this time hitting factories producing construction materials, agricultural products and foods, as well as grain silos, a mill, industrial sites, a dialysis center and a petrol station

-Northern and Eastern Syria’ political and military leaders have long emphasised that the political and military institutions in NES are separate from the PKK – contrary to Turkey’s claims – and now accuse Turkey of “exporting its internal crises” and conducting airstrikes to deliberately create instability and target the Democratic Autonomous Administration."