Turkish-backed factions infiltration attempt thwarted by Syrian Democratic Forces in Ayn Issa countryside, Toll of Turkish attacks in North and East Syria on civilians continues to mount

NORTH AND EAST SYRIA — In a statement, the Media Center of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported an infiltration attempt by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) on the village of Skiro in the eastern countryside of Ayn Issa in North and East Syria. Many of the attackers were killed in the attempt and the others were forced to flee, said the statement. They then targeted the village with heavy weapons to recover their dead.

The Turkish violations in North and East of Syria have caused 760 permanent physical disabilities, according to a report by the Violations Documentation Center of North Syria (VDC-NSY). The violations included clashes, indiscriminate shelling, using mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), in addition to targeting densely populated areas with artillery shells, rockets, and aerial bombardment.

The report stated that 13,000 people in northern Syria were subjected to psychological trauma each month as a result of Turkish attacks and 760 people suffered permanent physical disabilities,  in addition to the over 3,000 SDF fighters disabled in the war against the Islamic State (ISIS) and Turkey.

The report indicated that the Turkish invasion of Cafrin (Afrin) in 2018 caused 205 physical disabilities — permanently injuring 39 civilians and 136 members of the SDF. In addition, people have been physically disabled in bombings since the begining of the Turkish occupation of Cafrin. Thirty-four people in Cafrin have been disabled by unexploded mines and ordinance. 

Local organizations have documented about 960 cases of natural disabilities in Tel Abyad and Rish Ayno (Ras al-Ayn); 810 of them have been displaced. They live in very difficult psychological, social, and economic conditions with little access to medical and psychological care.