At the least 9,500 folks have fled their houses in Ain Issa, northeast Syria, following an escalation in clashes between the Turkish-backed Syrian Nationwide Military (TSNA) and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in mid-December.
The SDF – the army forces of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), also called Rojava – who management Ain Issa, report day by day shelling on town from Turkish-backed forces for the previous week. The sound of preventing could possibly be heard from sundown till midday.
Ain Issa sits roughly 45km (28 miles) by street from Tel Abyad, a metropolis flanking the Turkish border and captured in October 2019 throughout Ankara’s Operation Peace Spring.
Operation Peace Spring was launched following the abrupt withdrawal of United States troops from Syria to safe a so-called safe-zone on Turkey’s border by clearing the area of Folks’s Safety Models (YPG) fighters.
The SDF is comprised of the Kurdish Folks’s Safety Models (YPG), which Turkey considers to be linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Staff’ Social gathering (PKK).
Labelled a “terrorist” organisation by Turkey, the US and the European Union, the PKK has waged an armed rebellion in opposition to the Turkish state for the reason that Nineteen Eighties.
The Turkish authorities acknowledged the safe-zone would span 32km (20 miles) deep from the Turkish border into Syria and 444km (276 miles) large from the Euphrates River to Iraq as a way to settle as much as two million Syrian refugees at the moment hosted by Turkey.
The operation resulted in Turkey capturing the cities of Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ain close to its border and controlling an space 20km deep into Syria.
Whereas SDF Press Officer Siyamend Ali instructed Al Jazeera skirmishes with Turkish-backed forces should not new for the reason that operation, he mentioned the TSNA reinforcements have been deployed to Ain Issa during the last month – with clashes intensifying on December 18.
“Particularly the previous two weeks, Turkish-backed mercenaries have been finishing up fierce assaults on the M4 worldwide street, the city of Ain Issa, surrounding areas and alongside all contact traces [with] the SDF,” Ali mentioned.
A high-level supply within the Turkish Defence Ministry instructed Al Jazeera there are not any clashes in Ain Issa past the world below the management of the Turkish armed forces.
“Just lately PKK-YPG terrorists based mostly in Ain Issa, south of the M4, attacked our troops within the north of the M4 however they got due response they deserved,” the Turkish Defence Ministry supply acknowledged.
“This occasion can’t and shouldn’t be categorised as an assault on Ain Issa or extension of Operation Peace Spring.”
Civilian upheaval and casualties
In accordance with the United Nations, Ain Issa metropolis had a inhabitants of seven,089 as of Could 2020.
The AANES Humanitarian Workplace has reported that 6,500 folks from town, plus an additional 3,000 folks from the encircling villages, have fled since mid-December.
A person who remained within the metropolis, asking to withhold his identify for concern of reprisals ought to the TSNA take over Ain Issa, mentioned he doesn’t have wherever to flee to.
“We’re right here and we is not going to go away town … We reside right here peacefully, and so they threaten us with these assaults, what do they need?” he instructed Al Jazeera.
“Even when there’s warfare, we is not going to go away.”
Contemplating there isn’t a infrastructure or displacement camp arrange for civilians fleeing their houses, most are travelling to Raqqa, about 55km (34 miles) south of Ain Issa.
One other man, about 50-year-old and a member of the justice council in Ain Issa, mentioned everyone seems to be afraid.
“Those that keep are those that have their job right here, and who’re most hooked up to the democratic establishments that now we have constructed up,” he mentioned.
In accordance with the AANES Organizations Workplace in Ain Issa, 38 civilians have been wounded within the metropolis as of December 20.
The Turkish Defence Ministry supply mentioned: “In areas below our management we take all the required safety measures to normalise life and let native folks rebuild their lives.”
“When attacked by PKK-YPG terrorists, Turkish troops give due response to remove the menace posed by them.”
Ali, the SDF press officer, mentioned the agreements in place with Turkey are supposed to forestall preventing.
“However they’re attempting to occupy new territory in violation of the agreements,” Ali mentioned.
Necdet Ozcelik, a safety knowledgeable and former member of the Turkish Particular Forces, instructed Al Jazeera that every facet is attempting to legitimise their army actions.
“It’s not a ceasefire settlement as a result of an settlement is signed between official actors, and neither TSNA or Turkey considers YPG as official actors,” Ozcelik mentioned.
“From the Turkish perspective, this can be a terrorist organisation attempting to make use of some official phrases to deliver way more sympathy from a global viewers.”
A murky ceasefire
On October 17 final yr, the US brokered a ceasefire cope with Turkey stipulating the necessity for YPG forces to withdraw from the Turkish managed secure zone and the gathering of heavy weapons.
The supply within the Turkish Defence Ministry pressured the YPG had continued to focus on the army and civilian inhabitants regardless of the ceasefire.
“All alongside the Operation Peace Spring space PKK-YPG terrorists are always engaged in subversive actions reminiscent of firing on Turkish and Syrian Nationwide Military troopers [and] digging tunnels as a way to infiltrate and smuggle explosives for bomb assaults,” they mentioned.
Turkey mentioned on Sunday its army had killed 15 YPG fighters, who it mentioned have been getting ready to hold out an assault in northeast Syria.
On December 10 a automobile bomb detonated at a checkpoint in Turkish managed Ras al-Ain, killing 12 folks together with two Turkish safety officers. Turkey holds the YPG chargeable for the assault.
The Turkish Defence Ministry pressured Ankara considers the M4 freeway because the ceasefire line, an “approximate distance of 24-32km from [the Turkish] border”.
Whereas the SDF claims Turkey is violating agreements made final yr, Ali described the present clashes as being “deep inside Syria” – 35km (22 miles) from the border.
A member of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) – the political wing of the SDF – in Ain Issa, who requested for his identify to be withheld, instructed Al Jazeera the clashes have been additional than 32km from the Turkish border.
“Which implies that it’s outdoors what Ankara claims to be a threatening space to its alleged nationwide safety,” he mentioned.
Ain Issa is a strategic metropolis, militarily and when it comes to transport, because it sits on the M4 freeway which begins on the Iraqi border, connects to Aleppo and continues to the Syrian coast.
“The opposite concern that makes Ain Issa necessary is it incorporates the headquarters of the [AANES] and its establishments – Ankara goals to destroy this venture by placing its capital,” the SDC member continued.
Ozcelik mentioned if Turkey and its native forces seized Ain Issa, its goal to determine a secure zone alongside its border would have progressed.
“If Turkey seizes Ain Issa it’s going to be a sign of future army actions, to clear [YPG]/PKK from Ain al Arab/Kobane space as properly,” Ozcelik mentioned.
Russian stress
Because the US-Turkish ceasefire final yr, Russia has had troops on the bottom in Ain Issa and has arrange a base within the former coalition headquarters.
One month in the past, Russia erected three new statement posts within the north of Ain Issa metropolis, in what Ozcelik described as Moscow attempting to “penetrate” the US or Turkish territorial management within the space.
“The Russians [would] prefer to deliver Syrian regime army components into northeast Syria as a lot as attainable,” Ozcelik defined.
“If the [observation posts] are attacked by the SNA or Turkey, then Russia will legitimise the deployment of extra troops in that space.”
Ali from the SDF mentioned Russia is meant to watch and implement the ceasefire settlement, particularly contemplating clashes are happening lower than 1km from Moscow’s base.
“Thus far they didn’t act in keeping with this mission … [the Syrian government and Russia] have completed nothing in assist of the SDF and so they proceed to stay silent,” Ali mentioned.
In accordance with the SDC, Russia is attempting to push the AANES, who’ve managed the northeast of Syria since 2012, to cede management to the Syrian authorities.
“Russia calls for that the world be handed over to the regime as a situation to cease the Turkish assault,” the member of the SDC expressed.
The SDF refuses to take action, though, as Ali explains, it expects the scenario on the bottom to worsen.
“Turkey’s final purpose on this space is to occupy this city,” Ali mentioned.