SYRIA: Darbasiyah shelled by Turkey for first time since SAA deployment; Turkey and it’s proxies shell crossing at Um-Jalud northwest of Mabbug (Manbij)

DARBASIYAH, Syria – Syrian and Turkish forces exchanged artillery fire in the countryside of the town of Darbasiyah along the Turkish-Syrian border for the first time since Syrian Arab Army (SAA) forces deployed to the border regions in the northeast several months ago. There were no reported casualties.

Turkish forces targeted an SAA position in the border village of Hawashiya in the countryside of Darbasiyah. The SAA responded with counter-shelling.

Turkey and the Syrian National Army (SNA), a collection of militias, including several espousing Islamist ideologies, formed and funded by Turkey, bombed the village of Um Jalud, northwest of Mabbug (Manbij) city on Tuesday. Um Jalud acts as a border crossing between the ares occupied by the SNA and those controlled by the Manbij Military Council (MMC). Three mortar shells targeted the crossing and surrounding areas, causing material damage to civilian property.

Since the Turkish invasion of North Syria in October 2019, Mabbug has witnessed an increase in the indiscriminate Turkish bombing it has been sporadically targeted with. Now, areas in and around Mabbug are targeted by Turkish and SNA shelling almost daily. The shelling not only targets military locations but civilian areas.

The latest shelling of the Um Jalud crossing is likely to have negative effects on local commerce.

On 25 February, a 75-year-old woman was seriously injured in Al-Kharufiyah village, south of Mabbug, when a Turkish shell struck her house. Al-Karufiyah if 11km from the nearest frontline.

On Sunday, Turkish forces bombed areas west of Mabbug city with rocket artillery targeting the Russian and Internal Security Forces headquarters in the town of Al-Araimah. The bombing resulted in the deaths of four members of the SAA and the wounding of five others.