SDF foils another occupation attempt in Ain Issa

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) foiled another occupation attempt in Ain Issa last night. The target of the attempted infiltration by the Turkish army and mercenaries acting under the aegis of Turkey was again the village of Sêgiro (Sukairo, also Skiro), located in the north-east of the region. This was the third large-scale attack on the village since the beginning of December.

According to the SDF press office, the wave of attacks started around 1 am. “Our forces responded to the mercenaries’ attacks on the basis of legitimate self-defence. A number of attackers were injured in skirmishes. Yet other militiamen evaded the fighting by fleeing,” it said in a statement.

During the clashes, which lasted about thirty minutes, various weapons were used, including light, medium and heavy warfare equipment. The SDF pointed out that Turkish Air Force reconnaissance drones flew over the conflict lines at the same time as the attempted occupation.

The village of Sêgiro is located about 27 kilometres northeast of the city centre of Ain Issa. On 6 and 10 December, the occupation forces tried in vain to capture the village. Ain Issa is located south of the Turkish occupied zone in northern Syria and is strategically important as a link between the self-governing regions of Euphrates (Kobanê) and Cizîrê. For more than a year, the city has been in the crosshairs of Turkey and Islamist proxy forces. Heavy artillery hits residential areas and the M4 almost daily. Since the occupation of Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî, sporadic attacks to wear down and displace civilians have taken place as of October 2019 as part of a low-intensity war. Several villages in the region have already been destroyed and depopulated.