North and East Syria Foreign Relations Commission updates on Turkish attacks in press conference

ZALIN, Syria — Amidst the ongoing Turkish air campaign targeting civilians, military personnel, and vital civilian infrastructure, the Foreign Relations Commission of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) held a press conference on Saturday to address the latest developments and outcomes of the Turkish aggression.

Samar al-Abdullah, Co-Chair of the Commission, delivered the statement condemning the Turkey’s bombing campaign. Al-Abdullah said that the goal of Turkey’s campaign is to thwart the democratic aspirations of the people of North and East Syria and undermine the stability of the region for its own gain.

Since 4 October, under false pretexts, Turkey has relentlessly targeted vital installations and service facilities, including electricity, water, and oil stations, hospitals, and camps, as a vengeful response to the victories achieved by the people of North and East Syria against Islamic State terrorism, said al-Abdullah.

According to officials, there have been over 180 strikes — 117 by artillery or direct fire, 17 by warplane, and 45 by drone.

So far, there have been 15 deaths and 10 injuries of both civilians and military personnel.

One-hundred and thirty-one infrastructure facilities were targeted, including 27 in norther Holeb (Aleppo), 26 in Hasakah, 25 in Ayn Issa, 21 in Zalin (Qamishli), 17 in Kobani, 9 in Dayrik (Al-Malikiyah / Derik), and 7 in Mabbug (Manbij).

The targets of the strikes have primarily been power stations, oil facilities, water pumping stations, factories, and medical facilities. AANES officials announced on Saturday that all power generations facilities in the region were damaged.

Emphasizing the urgency for Syrian national parties to unite against Turkey, the Foreign Relations Commission called upon the international community, the United Nations, and human rights organizations to recognize the devastating consequences of Turkey’s attacks on the population and the humanitarian catastrophe that is likely to ensue.