The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) stated that Turkish strikes on its controlled areas have caused damage to gas and oil stations, electricity sources, and hospitals. Despite political efforts to pressure Turkey, international responses have been “slow.”
Yasser Suleiman, the co-president of the Democratic Peoples’ Council in the Autonomous Administration, said on Thursday, October 31, that the Turkish attacks disrupt the operations of service institutions and hinder the provision of essential services.
He added, according to the official website of AANES, that they have communication channels with the International Coalition, the United States, and active regional countries, but their response is slow, complicating the humanitarian and security situation in the region.
He pointed out that the slow international response “complicates the humanitarian and security situation in the region.”
Suleiman stated that AANES is seeking to communicate with the United Nations and human rights organizations “to pressure Turkey to stop these attacks that threaten the lives of the region’s inhabitants.”
He noted that there is an urgent need for support from human rights organizations and the international community for the AANES, especially under the siege imposed on the region, with the international community and the coalition forces, particularly the United States, neglecting to provide the necessary assistance in this “critical” phase.
In recent days, northeastern Syria has witnessed an escalation of Turkish air military activity in response to an attack described by Turkey as “terrorist,” which targeted a company specializing in military industries in Ankara.
Washington has expressed concern over the Turkish military escalation against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the military wing of AANES, while affirming Turkey’s right to hold accountable those responsible for the Ankara attack, which it described as “terrorist.”
An official from the US State Department told Enab Baladi that the US feels “serious concern” about military activities in northern Syria, their impact on civilians and infrastructure, and their effects on “the effectiveness of its operations to ensure the lasting defeat of the Islamic State.”
In turn, US Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, while answering reporters’ questions at a press conference, said that what happened in Turkey “appears to be a terrorist attack,” and that Turkey has the right to hold accountable those who carried out the attack.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that his country’s army has struck 470 targets of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Syria and Iraq since the party launched an attack on a state-owned military manufacturing company in Turkey last week.
According to the latest statistics released by the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) affiliated with the AANES, Turkey has conducted a wide-ranging attack on northeastern Syria since October 23, targeting service centers, vital facilities, and infrastructure.
The strikes have focused on bakeries, water and electricity stations, oil facilities, hospitals, as well as barriers and checkpoints.
The total number of attacks in Syria, according to Asayish, has reached 1,168 ground and air assaults, resulting in the deaths of 18 people, including 14 civilians, alongside 68 injured, including 54 civilians.