SYRIA: More fires started by Turkish-backed groups in predominantly Christian Khabur Valley

TEL TAMR, Syria – More fires broke out in the northern Tel Tamr countryside following dispersed artillery shelling by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), a collection of militias, including several espousing Islamist ideologies, formed and funded by Turkey.

These fires are only the latest in a seemingly intentional campaign of environmental terrorism being conducted by the SNA.

The most recent fires were caused by SNA factions firing artillery from the villages of Al-Qasimiyah and Al-Rashidiya which are under their control. The fires burned a swathe of crops between the village of Timar (Um al-Kief) and a nearby Russian military base.

The fire brigade of Tel Tamr rushed to the area and extinguished the fires before they could spread to the “cow farms” area where Russian troops are stationed.

Tel Tamrn is situated in the Khabur Valley, home to many of North and East Syria’s Syriac-Assyrian population.

This is the second time that a fire broke out in the vicinity of the Russian base outside Tel Tamr. A similar fire broke out near the base on 9 June.