After several failed attempts to secure a greenlight from the United States of America (US) and Russia for a ground invasion in NES, Turkey has relied increasingly on drone attacks as a strategy to weaken the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the AANES. In 2022, in North and East Syria (NES), RIC recorded 130 drone […]

Download the full report here. RIC’s quarterly report on the state of the Turkish occupation in Northern Syria tracks human rights violations and crimes committed by Turkey and Turkish-backed SNA groups in the occupied regions of Afrin and the ‘M4 Strip’ – the border region between the occupied cities of Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad. From […]

Key Points No violent incidents in al-Hol camp. 20 confirmed sleeper cell attacks, down from December’s 28. 10 military and 5 civilians killed, 12 military injured, 1 civilian injured; broadly on par with last month. 145 suspected ISIS-linked individuals arrested in raids; sharply up from last month’s 17. Conflict Armament Research reports that ISIS uses […]

  While ISIS’ 2019 defeat in Baghouz, at the hands of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Global Coalition, saw the former finally lose its territorial caliphate, the enduring activity of ISIS sleeper cells in North and East Syria (NES) remains a grave threat for the region as well as the wider world, and testifies […]

The Afrin region, in the far north-west of Syria, was one of the 3 original Kurdish cantons of Rojava. Rojava alludes to the Kurdish-majority populated areas in Syria, comprising the western part of Kurdistan. In 2012, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) withdrew from Afrin and the People’s and Women’s Protection Units, known as the YPG/YPJ, […]

Desde el comienzo de la reciente escalada de ataques turcos contra el Norte y Este de Siria (NES), figuras de las Fuerzas Democráticas de Siria (FDS) y de la Coalición Global han hecho hincapié en cómo las ofensivas de Turquía hacen descarrilar la lucha contra el Estado Islámico de Irak y el Levante (más conocido […]

“The Shammar is not just a traditional tribe; a big part of the tribe is involved in politics”. The late Sheikh Hamidi talking with SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi. The Shammar is AANES’ closest ally amongst the Arab tribes in NES. RIC spoke with Tarif Obeid (journalist) and Arwa Ahmed al-Salah (Kongra Star coordinator), both […]

Key Points 17 sleeper cell attacks in November, down from October’s 22. 5 military personnel and 4 civilians killed, roughly similar to October. 2 outbreak attempts and 2 murders in al-Hol camp. 7 SDF counter-ISIS raids, 4 with US/Coalition involvement, saw 22 suspected ISIS members arrested – also down from October. Turkish military operation in […]

Descarregar Davant la guerra i l’aïllament regional, l’Administració Autònoma del Nord i l’Est de Síria (AANES) ha construït al seu territori una xarxa d’universitats per rivalitzar amb les institucions de producció de coneixement del govern sirià. En canvi, ofereix un sistema d’educació superior amb estàndards internacionals, però fonamentalment influenciat també pels seus valors democràtics. El […]

From the start of Turkey’s recent escalation of its attacks on NES, figures within the SDF and Global Coalition have emphasized how Turkish offensives derail the fight against ISIS, directly and indirectly. In a new explainer, RIC outlines the relationships between Turkey’s attacks on NES and the strength of ISIS in the region, drawing particular […]