(Zaman Al Wasl)- Perhaps 2016 is the ultimate year of forced displacement. And how can it be considered otherwise when it was witness to the largest operation of forced displacement undertaken against the residents of Aleppo, the economic and industrial capital of Syria, following a Russian-Iranian deal and Turkish blessing.
The chapter on the forced displacement of Aleppo’s original residents began long before the city was besieged. Zaman al-Wasl forecasted the danger ahead in a report published in early 2016 entitled, “The Domino Siege Threatens Alepp. Russian Airplanes draw a New Map on The Burnt Land.” In the report, our correspondent in Aleppo presented information provided by a military source in the Syrian resistance which revealed for the first time that one of the “friendly” countries- he was referring to Turkey- informed the factions in Aleppo’s countryside that the regime forces and militias will launch a military campaign against Aleppo’s northern countryside from the Bashkui town axis, and the regime forces will advance towards Nubl and al-Zahraa with the aim of lifting the siege on those towns and cutting off the road between Aleppo’s northern countryside and the city in the beginning of February 2016.
The same source indicated at the time that the “friendly country” confirmed to the factions that the Russian forces pledged to support the regime forces with 1500 aerial strikes. The air strikes were sufficient to open the way before the regime forces and auxiliary foreign militias to advance towards the towns of Nubl and al-Zahraa in Aleppo’s northern countryside and break the siege on the two towns.
On 2 February 2016, the regime forces and militias succeeded in lifting the imposed siege on the towns of Nubl and al-Zahraa. They then turned the two towns into the largest military barracks in the area. The regime forces subsequently launched an extensive attack on the towns of Dawir al-Zeitoun and Tel Jabin. Regime forces managed to take control of these towns in a short time due to the intensity of the Russian air strikes on them.
During the advance towards al-Zahraa, regime forces and militias managed to gain control of the villages of Haradtin and Maarset al-Khan in a short time. After these towns, the town of Mayir that borders on al-Zahraa fell. The agricultural road connecting Mayir to al-Zahraa became the route for regime ground forces, and they opened a supply route via the agricultural land, and successfully brought military vehicles and soldiers into Nubl and al-Zahraa.
-Isolating Northern Countryside – February 2016-
With the regime forces and its militias taking control of the town of Maarset al-Khan, most of the resistance controlled towns and villages of Aleppo’s northern countryside were completely isolated from the city and its outskirts. The residents of the towns of Kafr Naya, Musqaen, Kafr Nasih, Ahras, Tel Rafiat, Azaz, Deir Jamal, and Kafin were besieged on all four sides. The Islamic State forces controlled parts of the northern countryside bordering on the eastern countryside, and the Kurdish forces controlled the villages bordering Aleppo’s western countryside, and Turkey closed all its land borders including the land crossing in the town of Sajo that borders the city of Azaz.
Thousands of civilians from the aforementioned villages were forced to leave their homes to flee the aerial bombardment targeting their towns and villages along the Syrian-Turkish border. The displaced gathered at the Bab al-Salam border crossing with the hope that Turkey would allow them to enter, but Turkey did not respond to any appeals made to its government to open the border crossing and welcome the displaced. The number of displaced gathered at the border crossing at the time was more than 50,000 persons most of whom were women and children. They were forced to take shelter in the wilderness around the border crossing in low temperatures and extreme cold.
Activists broadcasted images and video recordings showing the displaced moving towards Bab al-Salam border crossing, and the images received widespread attention in local and foreign media outlets. The media pressure forced several Turkish and foreign relief organizations to enter Syria via the Turkish border crossing to assess the situation and present the displaced with food aid.
IHH, the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation, set up over 200 temporary tents for the displaced within Syrian territory close to the border with Turkey. The Association said that the camp will shelter over 20,000 persons. Those gathered in the area demanded to be allowed to enter Turkish territory and be given the right to ask for temporary protection, but their demands were meet with silence.
In the second half of May 2016, the Russian warplanes intensified their aerial campaign along the al-Castello road which is considered Aleppo city’s life line. The Civil Defense Directorate of Aleppo and its countryside counted that in May 2016 alone, 1260 explosive barrels, 1700 missiles, 92 cluster bombs, 56 ground-to-ground missiles, and over 2000 mortar rockets were fired at the al-Castello road, the cities in Aleppo’s northern countryside, and the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo that are close to al-Castello road.
-The First Siege-
On 27 July 2016, the regime forces supported by the sectarian militias took control of the al-Castello restaurant close to the al-Malah area in Aleppo. The forces managed to reach the road considered Aleppo’s lifeline, 18 days after they began their campaign. The campaign was supported by intense Russian and regime aerial bombardment. The regime forces and militias also managed to take control of the area of the al-Lirmon garage located on al-Castello road.
On August 1, 2016, the Syrian resistance factions in northern Syria, announced the start of the battle to liberate Aleppo, and they called the campaign, “The Martyr Ibrahim al-Yusef Offensive.” The campaign aimed to gain control to the artillery academy at the city entrance, and they managed in a short duration to take control of the al-Jamaiyat area south of Aleppo city, and confiscate large quantities of light weapons and ammunition.
On 06 August 2016, the Syrian resistance official announced that it managed to lift the siege on the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo. The news came one week after the start of the “Epic Battle for Aleppo”, after the resistance made great advances at the expense of the regime forces and mercenaries in the al-Ramosah area and the military academy located in the area. The advances forecasted the resistance was close to lifting the siege on the eastern neighborhoods and opening a road towards the southern countryside.
Euphrates Shield
On August 24, 2016, the Syrian resistance announced it took control of the city of Jarablus in Aleppo’s eastern countryside. The announcement came a few hours after the start of the Euphrates Shield operation which was launched that morning with Turkish support.
The participating factions were able to expel Islamic State forces from all the towns and villages of northern Aleppo, and most of the villages and towns of the eastern countryside. The joint forces are now located at the outskirts of the strategic city of al-Bab where they are besieging the Islamic State forces.
-The Second Siege-
On 08 September 2016, the regime forces and militias regained control of the al-Ramosah after intense fighting between the regime forces and militias and the Syrian resistance factions. The resistance was forced to withdraw from several locations in al-Ramosah for the regime forces and militias to advance. The resistance gained control in the same morning of the gas station, al-Dabaghat, the municipal building, municipal bakery, and the postal building.
The Abu Omar Saraqib Offensive
On October 28, 2016, the Syrian resistance faction announced the start of the “Abu Omar Saraqib Offensive” that aimed to lift the siege on the city of Aleppo. In a short period of time, they managed to liberate the al-Soura checkpoint which is considered the key entrance to al-Assad Suburb along the Aleppo, Damascus international motorway. They also managed to liberate the Minyan workshops in the same area in western Aleppo.
The offensive came after Jaish al-Fateh announced that storm troops entered the al-Assad suburb axis west of Aleppo, and that they broke the regime and its militia’s first lines of defense. The attack was part of the larger offensive launched by the Syrian resistance in northern Syria, for the resistance factions to gain control of all the al-Assad Suburb, the village of Minyan, and parts of 3000 Apartment Project in the al-Hamadaniyeh neighborhood. The resistance factions were bordering on the Military Academy barracks which are considered one of the regime’s most fortified locations in the city. The battle stopped soon after for unknown reasons.
Zero Hour
On November 12, 2016, the regime forces and supporting foreign militias regained control of all the positions they had lost during the Abu Omar Saraqib Offensive after a fierce battle with the Syrian resistance factions. The warplanes played a prominent role as the violent aerial bombardment forced the Syrian resistance factions to withdraw from al-Assad Suburb, Minyan village, and the carton factory in the eastern entrance for Aleppo city.
The regime advances came after the regime supported by a large number of foreign militias launched a violent attack on the locations held by the Syrian resistance following the Abu Omar Saraqib Offensive. The regime forces managed to gain control of the final resistance held location the carton factory close to the al-Assad Suburb.
-The Aleppo Incinerator-
On 19 November 2016, the Free Aleppo Health Directorate announced that the systematic Russian and regime aerial bombardment had led to all hospitals in the besieged eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo going out of service.
The Directorate indicated in a statement it released that the destruction of hospitals was preventing medical workers from saving the lives of the resilient and besieged people. Medics were unable to provide medical assistance and were being forced to leave them to die as the al-Assad regime wants.
A medical source in the besieged neighborhoods confirmed that the last hospital offering services for the eastern neighborhood residents was targeted with tank and missile rockets a short time after the Directorate issued its statement. The attack on the hospital led to large material losses, damages to the hospital building, and injuries among the medical staff and patients.
-The Great Fall-
On 28 November 2016, the regime forces and auxiliary militias gained control of the Hananu Residences neighborhood located at the northern entrance to the city. In the few hours after that, the forces managed to gain control of all the surrounding neighborhoods amid the Syrian resistance factions’ sudden withdrawal towards the southern part of the besieged eastern neighborhoods.
In a short time, the regime forces and auxiliary militias managed to gain control of over 70% of the besieged eastern neighborhoods without the Syrian resistance making any notable defense. The Syrian resistance factions withdrew quickly to be constrained in a geographical space of 2 kilometers, in the neighborhood of al-Zabdiyet, al-Sukari, al-Ansar, and al-Mashhad.
-Initiative and Rejection-
On 07 December 2016, the besieged Syrian resistance factions proposed via the Aleppo Command Council a humanitarian initiative to save the civilians in the remaining besieged neighborhoods. The initiative included an immediate ceasefire for five days to evacuate urgent medical cases, and those civilians wanting to leave.
The initiative, which Zaman al-Wasl obtained copies of, had four main clauses, the most significant being that residents desiring to leave, whether civilians or wounded, be taken to Aleppo’s northern countryside and not Idlib province as Idlib province is no longer considered a safe zone due to the regime and Russian bombing. The regime and its allies rejected the initiative.
-The Great Displacement-
On 15 December 2016, al-Farouk Abu Bakir, the negotiation representative for the Syrian resistance in Aleppo confirmed in a statement to Zaman al-Wasl that an agreement was reached between the Syrian resistance and the Russian, Iranian and regime representatives in Aleppo. The agreement dictated that the besieged neighborhoods would be evacuated of all civilians and military fighters. They would be transported in buses to Akdet al-Raqqah point located close to the al-Rashidin area in Aleppo’s western countryside.
The evacuation of Aleppo’s residents to the western countryside continued for 7 consecutive days. The operation faced various obstacles from the Iranian militias which confiscated one of the convoys moving 800 persons for many hours. The militias executed seven of the passengers before the agreement was resumed. The Iranian militias insisted that a new clause be added that 2000 persons from the besieged pro-regime towns of Kafarya al-Fu’ah be evacuated to Aleppo.
On December 23, the last convey left the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo for the western countryside, for the al-Assad regime to announce that it managed to liberate the city of Aleppo. The statement came after 50,000 persons besieged in difficult and inhumane conditions were forcefully displaced.
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