The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria issued a statement regarding the ongoing attacks by gang groups supported by the Turkish state and affiliated with the Transitional Government on the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafiyah, and Bani Zaid in Aleppo.
The statement said the attacks constitute direct and systematic crimes against the population, noting: “The military escalation by these groups has led to the deliberate use of heavy weapons, including tanks and artillery, against residential areas, hospitals, and infrastructure. In this way, all international and humanitarian standards and laws are being violated.”
The Autonomous Administration added that the repeated targeting of hospitals and health centers in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah is not a military option, but a deliberate act aimed at disrupting life in these neighborhoods and depriving residents of their right to health care.
The statement underlined that the continuation of these crimes and dangerous violations signals the possibility of a massacre against civilians, and emphasized that these attacks, particularly with the participation of groups bearing ISIS symbols, point to war crimes and mass killings.
Holding the Turkish state directly responsible for these crimes, the Autonomous Administration said that Turkey supports these groups in order to sabotage peace and eliminate the will of free peoples.
The Autonomous Administration saluted the people of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah and the heroic resistance of the Internal Security Forces against a ruthless enemy, stating that they are writing an epic of resistance.
The Autonomous Administration called on democratic forces around the world, free peoples, and all components of Syria to stand with the resistance of the people of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah against the attacks and to take a clear stance.
The Autonomous Administration also called on the international community and international and humanitarian institutions and organizations to immediately halt the bombing of residential areas and the attacks, and to prevent massacres against the population.
Commemorating those who were martyred while defending their land and the dignity of their people, the Autonomous Administration expressed condolences to the families of the martyrs and stressed that will and resistance are stronger than all attempts at genocide and aggression.