KHABUR: Tel Tamr Military Council repels new attacks by proxy fighters of Turkish occupation army

TEL TAMR, KHABUR, North and East Syria – In a new attempt by Turkish-backed and Turkish-funded Syrian National Army (SNA) proxies to penetrate Tel Tamr and its environs, the Tal Tamr Military Council repelled attacks on the village of Dardara, on the road to Zarkan, north of Tal Tamr district. The Turkish proxies then shelled the village of Dardara with heavy weapons. The new attacks follow increased activity by the SNA  in North and East Syria.

In a statement on the renewed attacks, the Tel Tamer Military Council said that “on March 24, the Turkish occupation army tried to launch attacks on the villages of Tal Laban and Kozliya in the Tel Tamr district. Our fighters responded to these attacks and in the resulting violent clashes 4 of the militant attackers were injured.” It was unclear how many of the attackers were killed.

“On March 25, the Turkish proxies renewed their attacks, but these too were thwarted. In the clashes in the area, 5 militants were injured, and military bulldozers and vehicles were destroyed.”

After the failed attempt, the proxies resorted to shelling the village of Dardara with heavy artillery and mortar shells from the hill of the village of al-Manakh.

According to sources on the ground, fighters of the Syriac Military Council (Mawtbo Fulḥoyo Suryoyo, MFS) confronted the attackers in their infiltration attempt by the Syrian National Army from the village of Rehaniyeh after which strong clashes erupted. The MFS was able to thwart the infiltration attempt after which the Turkish proxies retreated.

The originally predominantly Syriac (Assyrian-Aramean-Chaldean) town of Tel Tamr is located in the Khabur River Valley of North and East Syria. Attempts to return refugee and internally displaced Assyrians-Arameans-Chaldeans to the town of Tel Tamr and the Khabur region as a whole, have so far remained unsuccessful.

Voices who advocate to turn the Khabur region into a canton in the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria for the Assyrians-Arameans-Chaldeans have been silenced for now by the Turkish invasion in 2019, the fragile security situation, and the uncertain political situation.