Escalating Turkish strikes cripple civilian infrastructure across northeast Syria
Since the launch of Operation Claw-Sword, Turkish strikes have widely targeted civilian and energy infrastructure, wreaking havoc and paralyzing economic life in northeast Syria.
QAMISHLI, Syria — Standing between slabs of marble in the Hasakeh province in northeast Syria, Muhammad Ali Al-Hassan* recalled the moment airstrikes hit the marble factory where he used to work.
“We heard a drone flying above the village, and seconds later the first strike hit in front of the marble factory at the entrance of the village on Nov. 20,” Al-Hassan told Al-Monitor on Thursday. “The second hit behind the village, and a mortar shell fell on empty fields.” Damaged, the factory closed, depriving Al-Hassan of work just days before his wife was due to deliver his third child.
But despite losing his weekly wage and some equipment, Al-Hassan is relieved to stay home since the bombing in the countryside of al-Qahtaniyah. “We feel fear and danger here,” he said, trembling as another drone crossed the sky.
Al-Hassan’s workplace was targeted on November 20, hours after Turkey launched Operation Claw-Sword against Kurdish-held areas of Syria and Iraq. The operation has been framed as a response to the Nov. 13 terror attack that killed six people in Istanbul. Turkish authorities attribute the bombing to Kurdistan’s Worker Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist group by Ankara, Washington and the EU. The PKK has claimed responsibility for attacks inside Turkey in the past, but denied being behind this bombing.
