Tel Tamr Military Council Commander Khabur Akkad: Our only option is resistance against any possible Turkish attack

TEL TAMR, Syria — Commander of the Tel Tamr Military Council Khabur Akkad, told Hawar News Agency in a recent interview that, “Fifteen days ago, large Turkish reinforcements were mobilized on the fronts of Tel Tamr district.” The buildup is happening amid a period of relative quiet on the Tel Tamr frontline, although other areas along the line of contact remain active, he added.

“Our only option is resistance against any possible Turkish attack,” Akkad stated, indicating that the people of North and East Syria have a high moral spirit, steadfastness, and resistance in the face of the Turkish forces.

“We are ready to resist until our last breath,” he declared, adding that the Tel Tamr Military Council, through its various formations, will not only resist, but also liberate Turkish-occupied Syrian territory.

He called on people of North and East Syria to unite and support their military forces to resist and liberate the occupied Syrian territory.

Read Also: Tel Fayda in the Khabur sits largely empty but the few residents who remain have welcomed Syrians displaced by Turkey’s 2019 invasion of North and East Syria

Read Also: Tel Fayda in the Khabur sits largely empty but the few residents who remain have welcomed Syrians displaced by Turkey’s 2019 invasion of North and East Syria

Background

In October 2019, Turkey and its proxies in the SNA, a coalition of militias, several of them with extremist ideologies, formed and funded by Turkey, invaded the cities of Rish Ayno (Ras al-Ayn) and Tel Abyad in North and East Syria, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Since the invasion, dozens of Turkish military bases have been established in those areas. The bases are guarded by the SNA who are equipped with armored vehicles and heavy weapons. Additionally, a large number of Turkish commandos are reportedly stationed in the region.

Demographic change and the Turkification of the area continue, with residents being forced to learn the Turkish language, the names of public facilities being replaced with Turkish ones and the hoisting of the Turkish flag over them.

Other human rights abuses continue as well. Turkish-backed factions continue to burn agricultural crops, kidnap civilians for ransom, extort business and families for large sums of money, and engage in torture, murder, and sexual assault.