Details
ISIS has been massing huge forces since the beginning of July in Jarabls – eastern Aleppo countryside and in Ash-Shoyok town, which is under the control of ISIS, to attack the Kurdish villages located in Aleppo countryside and near Ein Al-Arab city (Koubani), one of the largest Kurd-populated cities in the area which also houses IDPs.
After Intense between ISIS and PKK on one side and PYD’s YPG forces on the other side that lasted for days, Kurdish forces have withdrawn and ISIS took over the following villages:
Kharb Ato, Zoor Maghar, Az-Zayarah, Al-Baydeyah, Jabna, Jarookha (Jarekh Ali), Beindar, Ta’alak, Kendar, Abdkooy, At-Tabbash, Al-Mlawwah, and Sawsak.
Clashes and ISIS’s control forced the civilians to flee to the Turkish borders or Ain Arab city or the surrounding villages as they are afraid of any reprisal acts by ISIS such as killing, arrest, or treat civilians cruelly. These village have become empty of any residents since it turned into a permanent line of clashes since last February after ISIS took over Tal Abyad located in the east of Koubani “Ein Al-Arab”.
Most of these villages are located in Koubani “Ain Al-Arab” countryside 35 to the east of Koubani “Ain Al-Arab” city and overlooks Jrabouls city, under the control of ISIS, which represents a strategic importance.
In Eastern Koubani countryside, specifically Afdka, Malouh Al-Qmar, Abe Surra, and Kourak villages the intent clashes are still going on between ISIS and Kuridsh forces. Tens were killed in these clashes off the two sides and military vehicles were destroyed too. As a result, many civilians have been forced to displace because of this clashes since February while ISIS tried to progress further in western Koubani counbtryside “Ain Al-Arab” so it attacked on 11 July, 2014 Jul Ughli and Al-Jubna villages as it started indiscriminately shell the two villages and then it raided the two villages with tanks and armored vehicles to displace the residents to Koubani city and the near Turkish borders. The faction managed to take over the villages after the Kurdish forces’ withdrawal.