Rukban refugee camp in Syria
A United Nations aid convoy on Saturday reached the Rukban refugee camp in Syria, next to the border with Jordan, where thousands of people are stranded in the desert, a member of the camp's local council said.
"The first convoys have entered the camp," said Abu Abdullah, a member of the civilian council that runs the camp and has coordinated with the U.N. on humanitarian aid convoys.
Rukban, located close to the Tanf U.S. military base in the desert near where the borders of Syria, Jordan and Iraq converge, is home to more than 50,000 people whose last U.N. aid convoy arrived in January.
Syrians who fled YPG/PKK’s terrorist activities in Tal Abyad district of Raqqah in Syria and took refuge in Turkey want to return to their homeland.Inhabitants in Tal Abyad, whose houses were forcibly evacuated, had to take refuge in Turkey’s southeastern province of Sanliurfa’s Akcakale district and they are now expecting Turkey’s support to clear their district of the terrorists.Shair Radeyni, who came to Akcakale three years ago, told Anadolu Agency that the terrorist group deported mostly Sunni Arabs.“Turkey was the only country standing by Syrians,” he said.Syrians want Turkey to free Tal Abyad from terroristsTurkish, US forces start joint patrols in Syria's ManbijPKK uses Turkey as excuse to end anti-Daesh ops in SyriaAhmet Seyh Ahmet, another Syrian, accused the YPG/PKK terrorists of planting hashish in the locals’ fields and selling drugs.“They are forcibly recruiting children of 11-12 years of age to fight in their ranks,” Ahmet added.“Our house is 200 meters away, every morning I come and look at my house and field from the border,” he said.“We want to return to our lands,” he said, adding: “We want help from Turkey, our only supporter on this issue.”Omer Dede, vice-president of the Syrian Arab and Turkmen Tribes Association, said only Turkey can clear Tal Abyad of the terrorists.“We are looking forward to returning to our lands of our ancestors,” he said.“We rely on Turkey, I hope that they will save us from the oppression of these traitors,” he added.Turkish army 'neutralizes' 124 PKK terrorists in a weekSyrian regime strikes Idlib de-escalation zone, killing 10 civiliansSenior PKK terrorist neutralized in SE Turkey
Refugees from Raqqah want to return to their homeland
The camp was last month besieged on the Syrian side of the border by the Syrian army, preventing smugglers and traders from delivering food. A U.S.-backed opposition group controls the area but it abuts Jordan's border and is encircled by the Syrian army.
Jordan has put a block on aid crossing the frontier after allowing the January delivery through its territory, and says it should not be held responsible for conditions in the camp.
U.N. relief trucks had planned to deliver aid to Rukban a week ago after gaining clearance from Damascus, but were delayed for logistical and security reasons, the United Nations said.
Shortages of food and medicine at the camp have caused at least a dozen deaths in recent weeks; the United Nations described conditions there as "concerning" and said thousands of lives were at risk.
Turkey’s determination to not allow a fait accompli in the east of the Euphrates has been proved yet again through concrete steps taken on the field. While strikes targeting PKK/YPG positions in the region are burying the terrorists in the trenches they dug, experts believe that Turkey may soon station howitzer batteries in Syria. This will enable hits to target a greater region and for the Turkish military to tighten its grip around the PKK/YPG terror group.Turkey struck YPG positions in the Zor Magar area to the west of northern Syria’s Ayn al-Arab region on Oct. 28. Howitzers were used during this operation, and initial reports indicated that 10 terrorists were neutralized.The move came two days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a “final warning” to those who would endanger Turkey’s borders, saying Ankara was determined to focus its attention on terrorists positioned east of the Euphrates.Turkey calls on US to terminate engagement with PYD/YPGTurkey is dampening PKK’s morale, motivationDefense analyst Turan Oğuz evaluated the goals and probable results of the operation in an exclusive interview with Yeni Şafak daily.Oğuz dubbed the move as a way to “measure the PKK’s reaction and U.S. response, and reduce the morale and motivation of the PKK.”Reactions being notedThe type and period of reaction is being analyzed by military experts at a Turkish base, Oğuz said.“All of the strikes have a cause-result relationship. The Turkish army is monitoring and noting all the changes on the field following these hits. We can say that a coordinated effort is being run with Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) in terms of the changes of the field,” Oğuz added.Turkey neutralizes 18 PKK terrorists over three daysHowitzer batteries to soon be transported beyond Turkey’s borderOğuz said that the importance of areas where Turkey has established dominance following the success of its Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations will be better understood in the coming days.“In the case of a probable land operation, artillery will also move forward into Syria,” Oğuz said, noting that the howitzer batteries that struck the east of the Euphrates are currently positioned within Turkey’s borders.“In this way, the range can be used more effectively and the damage inflicted on the targets will increase. This constitutes a difficult period for the PKK/YPG, because the terrorists became closely acquainted with the impact of Turkish howitzers during the Euphrates Shield Operation. It appears that the same end awaits the terrorists,” Oğuz said.Turkish, US defense ministers talk over phone
Turkey may position howitzer batteries in Syria, says defense analyst