150 civilians massacred, 298 wounded in Afrin in 14 days

According to the Health Council of Afrin Canton, 150 civilians were killed and more than 298 others were wounded as a result of attacks by the Turkish army and allied gangs that commit a war crime in the northern Syria territory.

The casualties of the Turkish attacks on the civilian population of Afrin are rising daily. The Health Council of the Canton of Afrin has researched the current situation in the hospitals of the city and the districts of Sherawa, Cinderês, Rajo, Shiye and Bilbilê and announced a balance of the past two weeks.

As Ancela Reşo, co-chair of the Health Council, states, the civilian population has been under attack since the beginning of the invasion attacks 15 days ago: "The AKP government targets civilians, children and women."

Within 14 days, 298 civilians were injured and 150 were killed in districts and villages of Afrin, according to data we managed to gather from hospitals. "These numbers are increasing every hour. These figures are from the information available to us. We suspect the real numbers are even higher.”

According to Ancela Reşo, most of the victims are Arabs who have fled to safe territory of Afrin since the beginning of the war in Syria.

“Many of those killed are these migrants, women and children. On the fourth day of the attacks, a family from Idlib who were running a chicken farm in the village of Cilbirê in Sherawa were hit. Children and women were massacred there. On January 28, the house of a 25-member Aleppo family was attacked in the village of Gobele. Turkey is carrying out massacres against the civilian population."

Commenting on the Health Council's works, Ancela Reşo said: "We have health centers in all districts. The injured are initially taken there and, if necessary, transferred to the central hospital."

Ancela Reşo stressed that the SDF fighters are trying to protect the civilian population but could do nothing against air strikes and artillery attack. As Turkish ground forces could not advance in the face of SDF resistance, the civilian population is being bombed, Ancela Reşo said. Many of the injured had lost limbs and many of the dead had dismembered bodies.

“People are getting hit in their homes and their bodies are torn apart and sometimes we cannot find the bodies even. Videos also show what kind of a crime against humanity is committed here.”

Ancela Reşo called on the United Nations and all international institutions to investigate the situation on the ground and see the crime against humanity for themselves. She said they are documenting the targeting of civilians in the attacks, noting that they can give these to anyone that wants to get them.

"We urgently need medical support. Even ambulances are being attacked while transporting the injured. People are migrating to Afrin centre because of the attacks. We need solidarity”, she added.