The Revolutionary Forces, consisting of Jaysh Al Thuwar, Bab Military Council, Shehba Women’s Defense Front Forces General Command, Rural Aleppo Ashiret Forces General Command, Democratic Northern Brigade Command and Jabhat Akrad Command, have issued a written statement on the invading Turkish state’s jet fighter, mortar and Howitzer attacks on the Shehba region and Efrîn.

The statement condemns the invading Turkish state forces’ attacks on the locations of their forces and points at the anti-ISIS international coalition forces for the responsibility.

The Revolutionary Forces stated that they have been fighting ISIS gangs for over 6 months and their aim is to form a secure zone where migrants can come and settle in, and continued: “In this 6 month period, we haven’t seen any intention from the gangs Turkey supports or the Turkish state itself to fight ISIS gangs.”

The Revolutionary Forces point out that the Turkish intelligence agency has supported ISIS gangs and radical groups against democratic Syrian forces in the past, and said:

“In the last two days, the areas where our forces and civilians are have been under intense bombing by Turkish fighter jets.

Yesterday at approximately 12.00, the Turkish army bombed our positions where our forces were fighting ISIS.

Also yesterday, from around 21.00 at night to 05.00 in the morning, Turkish fighter jets have dropped bombs at least 30 times on the positions of our forces and the newly liberated areas where the civilians stayed. Along with the bombing by the Turkish army, the gang groups in Euphrates Shield launched an extensive attack on areas our forces are positioned in in the Semoqa, Til Malid Tiwêhîniyê regions. Our forces have retaliated against the gangs’ attacks and forced them to retreat, with 2 bodies left behind.”

“ISIS ATTACKED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE TURKISH ARMY”

The statement says that during the Turkish army’s bombing, ISIS gangs simultaneously attacked the newly-liberated Syriatel cell tower center. According to the statement, the gangs occupied this point and they also carried out attacks on the Wehişê village and the Shehba Dam.

“All attacks from the gangs have been thwarted by our forces and the Syriatel cell tower has been taken back into our forces’ control”, said the statement and included the following on the fighters who lost their lives: “15 of our fighters have fallen martyr during the aerial attack by the Turkish army, and 26 of our fighters were wounded. 4 civilians lost their lives in the invading Turkish army’s attack and 13 others were wounded.”

The Revolutionary Forces state that the forces in Aleppo have shatered the illusion that the terrorists were “undefeatable” and delivered heavy blows, condemned the Turkish army’s invasion of the Eqrebat town in Idlib, and saluted the stance taken by the town’s residents against the invasion.

The statement also called on the international organisations and the world media to document the terrorists’ practices and Turkey’s invasion on Syrian territory, and called on the UN Council, NGOs, human rights organisations and forces with interests in the Syrian crisis, foremost the US, Russia and others, to work on stopping the Turkish army and their allied terrorists from attacking Northern Syria.

The statement expressed that the international coalition was responsible for Turkey’s attacks on the Revolutionary Forces positions in the liberated areas, and said: “As Syrian Revolutionary Forces, we will continue our fight against terror. We promise our people that we will defend them in the face of Turkey and their Ottoman invasion.”