Artillery attacks on villages in Rojava

Turkey fired hundreds of artillery shells at villages in the cantons of Shehba, Afrin and Kobanê in northern Syria on Friday evening. The permanent shelling is intended to wear down the population and drive them to flee.

Turkey continues to attack villages in northern Syria. Starting late Friday afternoon, hundreds of shells were fired at populated areas in the cantons of Shehba, Afrin and Kobanê. The first wave of attacks at 5.30 p.m. local time focused on the villages of Şealê, Ayndqanê, Bêlûniyê, Miniq and Şêx Îsa in Shehba, as well as Bênê and Soxaneke in Sherawa, Afrin. About 80 artillery shells hit the region.

At 9.30 pm, the attacks were extended to Shera, Afrin. In the villages of Merenaz, Tat Meraş, Şewarxa, Malikiyê and Alqemiyê, 125 shells with howitzers and mortars were registered. The village of Ziyaret west of Kobanê was also shelled with mortar shells.

The Turkish occupation forces in northern Syria mainly use jihadist mercenaries in the daily artillery attacks. The permanent shelling is intended to wear down the population and drive them to flee.