The Turkish army and its jihadist proxies are attacking civilian settlements in northern Syria. The bombardments are currently concentrated on villages near the town of Ain Issa. The attacks are continuing at the moment with the information available on the consequences.

The villages affected by the shelling, which started in the afternoon, are Seyda (al-Saida), Dibis, Hoşan (al-Hoshan) and Xalidiyê (al-Khalidiya) west of the centre of Ain Issa. The villages are densely populated and, like almost the entire city, are regularly taken under artillery fire by Turkey and its Islamist proxy forces. The reason is the region's proximity to the strategic M4 highway.

Most recently, the Turkish jihadist occupation forces carried out massive attacks on Ain Issa last Thursday. The targets of the attacks were the M4 and the villages of Mişêrfê and Seyda, where impacting shells caused severe damage to civilian homes. According to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the residential areas were targeted by occupation forces. Early last week, two civilians were killed in attacks on Ain Issa and four other people were injured.

Ain Issa of strategic importance

Ain Issa is located south of the Turkish occupied zone of Girê Spî and is strategically important as a link between the self-governing regions of Euphrates (Kobanê) and Cizîrê. For two and a half years now, the city has been in the crosshairs of Turkey and Islamist proxy troops, with heavy artillery hitting residential areas and the M4 almost daily. Since the occupation of Serêkaniyê (ar: Ras al-Ain) and Girê Spî (ar: Tal Abyad), sporadic attacks to wear down and displace civilians have taken place as of October 2019 as part of a low-intensity war. Numerous villages in the region have already been destroyed and depopulated.