New attacks target Shehba, Afrin and Manbij

Mortar shells fired from the Turkish occupation zone in northern Syria hit residential areas in Shêrawa near Afrin late on Friday evening. The shelling initially concentrated on the villages of Bircqusê, Hirşê and Soxanekê. Subsequently, the village of Ziyaret, where the Veger refugee camp is located, was bombed.

Parts of artillery projectiles landed in the camp housing around 105 families from Afrin. No information was available about the full extent and damage of the attacks.

The district of Shêrawa, which is not fully occupied by Turkey, is located in the south-east of Afrin. The province was run by the Autonomous Administration until the invasion in early 2018. The Turkish army and its mercenary militias carry out attacks on the region almost daily in order to expand the zone of occupation.

Earlier on Friday, the occupying forces bombed several settlements in Shera, north of Afrin. Attacks have been reported from Meranaz, Malkiyê, Şiwarxa, Tinib and Irşadiye. It is not known whether people were harmed. In Manbij, the village of Arab Hasan Kabir (Greater Arab Hasan, ku. Ereb Hesen) came under fire. The attack targeted a Manbij Military Council checkpoint. No information was available about the damages and possible wounded.

Arab Hasan Kabir is located in southwest Manbij. The village is regularly attacked by Turkey and its Islamist mercenaries.

The canton of Sheba in the no man’s land between Afrin and Aleppo is also affected by Turkey’s attempts to expand the zone of occupation. The focus of the attacks, which are increasing in intensity at regular intervals, is the city of Tel Rifat. At least four grenades struck there early on Friday evening. The extent of the damage was unclear.