On 9 October 2023, the fascist Turkish army attacked a cotton field in northern Syria, injuring 5 female workers. In this document we have gathered information on this attack.
Since the night of October 5, Turkey has once again launched a massive wave of attacks on North and East Syria. Just like last year, in November 2022, this wave of attacks is focused on civilian infrastructure. Critical infrastructure such as gas stations, oil fields, factories, and facilities for the supply of water and electricity have been severely damaged. Civilians are also being bombed, including workers who earn their living in the cotton fields. With these attacks, Turkey is yet again committing war crimes by terrorizing the civilian population and destroying their livelihoods.
What happened?
On October 9, at around 10:30 a.m., the Turkish army shelled a cotton field in the village of Bisheriye, east of Zirgan in Heseke Canton. This attack was directed against locals working in the cotton field in the village, injuring five women who were taken to the hospital in Dirbêsiyê. Four of the injured were later moved to Heseke city for proper treatment, while the remaining woman stayed in Dirbêsiyê hospital with a foot fracture.
The names of the wounded are as follows: Raksa Saleh Fawaz (50), Khadija Edan al- Tamr (40), Farah Adnan (25), Zena Hammoud (20) and Jumana Hammad.
Testimony of Farah Adnan who lost both legs
25-year-old Farah Adnan, one of the women picking cotton, lost both legs in the attack. In an interview at the hospital in Heseke after the attack, she testified as follows.
“The rockets came very suddenly and hit us, after that I was black in the face, I didn’t know what kind of impact it was. My mother was also injured and her face was full of blood. My aunt was injured in the abdomen. Two other women were injured, one in the arm and the other in the leg. Both my legs were injured. I heard only screams and saw dust after the further bombardments. Damn these sons of donkeys who attacked us.”
Turkey commits war crimes
Referring to the attacks in North and East Syria, Erdogan stated that “The first phase of their operation has been successfully completed” 1. Bombing the infrastructure, murdering and maiming civilians is a success for Turkey. To attack working women,using their own hands to produce the basic necessities of their society, is to attack the whole of society. It is to attack the emancipation of women. It is to attack the revolution in North and East Syria that is led by women, and it is to commit a war crime under international law.
Kongra Star Information Center
12 October 2023
