Refugees in Turkish border towns turned target for YPG shelling

(Eqtsad)- Syrian refugees in the Turkish city of Kilis have been living in a state of panic as the Kurdish militias retaliate to the Turkish military operation in Afrin by bombing the border town.

Two people were killed and 12 others wounded in Kilis after two rockets launched from Afrin.

As Turkey's operation against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in Afrin entered its sixth day, several rockets have hit the Turkish border towns of Kilis and Reyhanli, killing one Syria refugee and wounding dozens of other civilians, according to Xinhua.

Turkish forces on Saturday launched "Operation Olive Branch" in Syria's Afrin to fight the Kurdish militia, targeting the YPG elements in the Kurdish enclave with Free Syrian Army fighters through airstrikes and land forces.

Markets in Kilis were in a state of anticipation, following the recent recession accompanied by a wave of high inflation due to the instability of the Turkish lira against foreign currencies.

Abu Mohammad, owner of wholesale food stores, told Eqtsad about his fears of the unstable situation that prevails, noting that he is considering moving to another Turkish city.

"The city suffers mainly from a lack of commercial activity. The recent wave of bombing has made things worse. Trade is almost non-existent," he said.

Like Abu Muhammad, clothes salesman, Abdul Hakim, waits for the fighting, saying he is delaying the idea of leaving the city until the battle length is known.

Abdul Hakim clarified to Eqtsad that the reason he took residence in Kilis is because of its proximity to the Syrian

borders and Syrian atmosphere, "but most important of all is work, so he was forced to leave the city soon," Abdul Hakim added.

Also, the owners of the companies of space internet providers suffered heavy losses after these companies stopped working for "security reasons."

These companies, widely spread in Kilis, rely on Syrian customers inside the city and inside Syria, because these companies do not require customers to sign official contracts, as in the case of similar Turkish companies.

The number of Syrians in Kilis is estimated at 124,000, and the number is higher than the number of Turks in the city, according to Turkish media sources.

EQTSAD