Turkish-backed militia groups affiliated with the Syrian Transitional Government increased their military activity in the city of Deir Hafer and its rural areas following the massacres they committed in the Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah in Aleppo last week. Reports are coming through of intensive military deployment to the southern, western, and northern outskirts of the city for several days, while villages and towns are being shelled simultaneously.
Sources report that al-Amshad, al-Hamzad and Sultan Murad mercenaries are taking part in the attacks. According to reports from the ground, armed groups spread to the villages of Resim El Hermel and El Yeman north of Deir Hafer and the villages of Til Maiz, Hemîma Kebir, Hemîma Sexîr, and Um Zelîle west of the city. In addition, military activity was observed along the line stretching from south Deir Hafer to Sabkha al-Jabul.
A few days ago, Zekeriya El Setof and two children aged 10 and 15 were killed in attacks carried out on these fronts. The day before, another person was killed in a sniper attack at Abu Hana Bridge.
Reports say that around 15 thousand people live in the villages of Til Hesaf, Zibêdî, Mebûce, Um El Mura, El Ehmediye, Resim El Kirûm, Kiyariyê, and Um Tinê, which are under constant attack. On the other hand, as many as 89,000 people live in the city of Deir Hafer and its rural areas.
Sources report that armed groups affiliated with the Transitional Government have spread across a 78,000 kilometer-long area along the northern, western, and southern fronts of the cities of Maskanah and Deir Hafer.
Deir Hafer is located east of Aleppo in an area close to regions controlled by the self-proclaimed Syrian transitional government. The villages in the town are regularly attacked by troops and militias operating under the protection and political patronage of the government in Damascus.
In recent days, the so-called Syrian Ministry of Defense has also repeatedly accused the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of gathering troops in Deir Hafer and making military preparations for an attack. The SDF rejected the accusations as untrue and spoke of “preparations for further escalation” by Damascus.