Syriac Military Council Commander: Regime and Russia fail to respond to Turkish occupation forces attacks on Tel Tamr

TEL TAMR, Syria – Adai Rabu, Commander of the Syriac Military Council (MFS), spoke with Hawar News Agency about the attacks of the Turkish occupation forces on the town of Tel Tamr and the surrounding villages.

Rabu said in the interview that the Turkish occupation forces have recently stepped up their attacks against the rural villages of Tel Tamr. “There are continuous attempts to occupy more villages in the region,” he said. “The Syriac Military Council addresses these attacks within the framework of legitimate defense. So far, we have been able to defeat those attacks.”

Since the sudden withdrawal of U.S. forces from most of North and East Syria in October 2019, and the Turkish invasion that happened shortly thereafter, Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Russian forces have taken up positions along the front lines in an effort to de-escalate the conflict between the Turkish occupation forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), of which the MFS is a part.

In theory, two separate ceasefires have been in effect since late-October: one brokered by the U.S. and another by Russia. However, the fighting has never really stopped. “The truce is openly violated daily as the occupation continues its efforts to expand the occupied areas,” states Radu.

Many of the SAA and Russian positions have been the subject of routine attacks by the Turkish occupation forces, especially around an area known as the “cow farm”. “The Turkish state and its mercenaries target the points of the Russian forces and the regime forces with bombs,” said Rabu, “but these forces have not yet responded to the sources of fire because the presence of these forces in the area is only a formality.”

Rabu pointed out that the fighters of the MFS, as well as the Khabour Guards, defend their areas against the Turkish occupation, commenting that, “Our primary duty is to protect our land, as the descendants of the Ottomans seek revenge against the people of Tel Tamr, and we, as fighters of this people, will not allow the descendants of the Ottomans to fulfill their dreams. Tel Tamr will be the tomb of the occupiers.”