Civilian casualties from Turkish airstrikes grow in northern Syria amid weak support from Syrian Army
Indeed, Turkish attacks intensified on those towns despite Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announcing the establishment of the so-called “safe zone” after the Turkish Defense Ministry declared the towns of Serekaniye and Tal Abyad to be under the control of their allied Syrian militias.
Sources on the ground, however, confirmed that both towns and their countrysides are still under bombardment by Turkish warplanes and artillery shelling, in addition to clashes occuring between SDF fighters and the Turkish-led Syrian militias.
“The Turkish army pushed hundreds of their Syrian militias to Serekaniye and its countryside and then blocked the borders so they may not turn back or flee,” local sources told Kurdistan 24.
“Once the SDF attack or drive them out of town, they won’t have an exit to flee to Turkey, so they will flee to the countryside of Serekaniye, creating more chaos,” the source warned.
The Turkish offensive, which was launched on October 9, has thus far led to the displacement of some 275,000 civilians, including 70,000 children. About 1500 civilians have already moved to the Kurdistan Region.
The SDF have also confirmed they lost 137 of their fighters, with another 180 injured in the offensive.
Editing by Nadia Riva