In the attacks launched by Turkey and the Syrian National Army (SNA) since 8 December 2024 against Tishreen Dam, 11 civilians, including journalists, medics and rights defenders, were killed and 6 others were injured. Simultaneously with the attacks launched by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) against the Damascus administration on 28 November 2024, turkey and its SNA launched attacks against the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. With the rapid fall of the Assad regime, the Autonomous Administration forces withdrew from Shahba, Til Rifaat and Manbij, while Turkey and the SNA intensified their attacks on the Tishreen Dam and Qerekozaq Bridge. 

 

While the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been protecting the Tishreen Dam, which has been the target of heavy attacks due to the energu it provides to Syria, meeting the need for water and its strategic location, for 40 days, Turkey and the SNA, which could not get the military resulst they wanted in the attacks, started to target civilians. On the 3rd day of the attacks against the dam, which was cleared from ISIS by YPG and YPJ on 27 December 2015, civilians started to be targeted. 

 

The first attack against civilians was an ambulance carrying fighters defending the dam south of Kobanê, 90 kilometres from Aleppo. Turkey targeted Hêyva Sor's ambulance on the Sirrîn-Tishreen road with UCAVs. 2 wounded people in the ambulance and the ambulance driver were killed, the nurse on duty and the other wounded person in the ambulance were seriously wounded.

 

JOURNALISTS MASSACRED

 

On 19 December, Turkey targeted journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin, who were following the news about the attacks on the dam, with a UCAV. Journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin were killed and the driver of the vehicle, Ezîz Hec Bozan, was wounded in the Turkish attack targeting a vehicle travelling from Tishreen to Qarakozaq.

 

CIVILIANS' CONVOYS TARGETED

 

On 8 January, citizens from Tebqa, Raqqa, Hesekê and Cizîr set out for the dam to implement their decision to hold a vigil against the targeting of the dam, which provides them with electricity and water, and in solidarity with the SDF forces defending the dam. The convoys of civilians on their way were again targeted by Turkish attacks. In the attack, 3 citizens, named as minstrel Hemo, Kerem Ehmed El Şihab El Hemed (one of the executives of Zenûbiya Women's Community), Azad Ferhan Mihemed Hesan (member of Syrian Revolutionary Youth Movement) lost their lives. Diyar Mihemed Hecî, Mihemed Mistefa Heqil, Hisên Salim Silêman, Mistefa Mehmûd Yûsîf, Arif Elî Ehmed, Mihemed Enter Beko, Delîl Ebdela Mıhemed, Aldar Ebd, Elezîz Ibrahîm, Najîb Berkel, Mesûd Fetah Eqîl, Mihemed Osman Daban, Hesen Şahîn, Feyha Elî, Îbrahîm Xelîl Salıh and 18 citizens named Mehmûd and Şeyda, whose surnames are unknown, were wounded.

 

CIVILIANS ON GUARD DUTY MASSACRED

 

Turkey targeted these civilians 2 more times on 15 January. In the attack organized against the watch started by civilians, 3 citizens named Omer Hisên Derwêş, Osman Mustefa Îbrahîm and Basim Omer lost their lives. Îlham Xelîl Derwêş (36), Dîlan Murad Xelîl (21), Edle Mustefa Mihemed Elî (24), Azad Idrîs, Yasir Hemîd, Mazlûm Hemo (30), Meryem Henan (70), Mahir Mehyedîn, Kurdo Mehmûd Hesen, Fatme Omer Elî, Izedîn Hecî Ebas, Osman Îbrahîm, Hîbe Omer Ezîz, Ronîze and Mihemed Ebdulqadir and 4 citizens whose names are unknown, 19 people were wounded.

 

In a civilian convoy targeted by Turkey on 16 January, an unidentified person was killed and 21 citizens were wounded.

 

With the last attack, civilian convoys have been targeted 7 times since 8 January, when the watch started.