WEEKLY REPORT 19 – 25 March 2021 KEY DYNAMICS Turkey, Russia standoff 2 First Turkish airstrike on Self-Administration in 17 months ........ 2 Russian and Syrian airstrikes in northwest .......................................... 2 Security and living conditions, Northeast .............................................................. 4 ISIS targets SDF members in eastern Deir-ez-Zor ............................ 4 ISIS prisoner escape in Sur .......................................................................... 4 Ar-Raqqa locals complain of lack of electricity ................................... 5 COVID-19 in government-held areas ..................................................................... 5 Ministry of Health additional measures to combat COVID-19 ... 5 Cover: Clashes in Ein Issa (Source: Levant news) MERCY CORPS HUMANITARIAN ACCESS WEEKLY REPORT, 19 – 25 March 2021 1 Turkey, Russia standoff Russian Forces withdraw from Ein Issa First Turkish airstrike on Self- Local sources reported that Russian military personnel and vehicles withdrew from Al- Administration areas in Muallaq and Saida villages and Ein Issa city seventeen months towards the town of Tal Elsamen (Be'r Al- Hulo Al-Wardeyyeh subdistrict), around 22 km away A Turkish fighter jet struck military positions of after the military escalation. The withdrawal the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the town comes amid increased rumors of Russia of Saida (Ein Issa subdistrict) on 19 March. The demanding the handover of Ein Issa to the Syrian Turkish airstrikes are the first aerial raids on government. It is worth mentioning that Self-Administration areas in Syria since Turkey’s previously some Russian forces had already Operation Peace Spring in October 2019. withdrawn from Ein Issa following The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights disagreements between the SDF and Turkish (SOHR) claimed that the aerial attack came after forces in mid-February. a failed advance on SDF frontlines in Ein Issa by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). Russian and Syrian airstrikes in Reportedly Turkish forces, along with the SNA northwest had launched a new ground offensive on Ein Issa, however were pushed back by SNA rocket fire Opposition-controlled areas in Idleb and on armed forces and military posts in the western Aleppo witnessed a significant subdistrict. Intense clashes with medium and escalation of violations of the 5 March ceasefire heavy weapons continued between the two agreement. On 20 March, Syrian government sides over a period of two days, resulting in the and Russian airstrikes targeted the towns of killing of eight members of the SDF, as SOHR Bkafla (Jisr-Ash-Shugur subdistrict) and Benin reports, and an unknown number of Turkish or (Ariha subdistrict). On the same day, the Syrian SNA fighters. Displacement of local residents government launched artillery and missiles from the area was also recorded. targeting the villages and towns of Qarqur, Al- Mashiak, Tal Wassit, Al Zaqoum, and Doqmaq Local sources reported that the Turkish air (Ziyara subdistrict), and Shinan, Bazabur, and attack took place while members of the SDF Benin (Ariha subdistrict). A day later, were conducting a mine-removal operation in Al- government forces fired mortar shells at the Al Muallaq and Saida villages. Local sources Maghara Hospital in Atareb (Atareb subdistrict), attributed the escalation to the fact that the resulting in the death of six civilians and the operation took place in close proximity – wounding of sixteen others. Also on 21 March, estimated at 5-10 km away – to Turkish military Russian airstrikes targeted several locations observation posts in the area, which could be close to the Bab al-Hawa border crossing in the perceived as a threat and consequently led to a northern Idleb countryside, including a gas direct confrontation between the two parties. factory, a parking lot for fuel trucks and the fuel MERCY CORPS HUMANITARIAN ACCESS WEEKLY REPORT, 19 – 25 March 2021 2 market in Sarmada (Dana subdistrict). On the concerns over the recent attacks in Idleb and same day, a Russian ballistic missile was aimed at western Aleppo. The attacks are considered the a Failaq al-Sham (an armed-opposition group most significant violation of the 5 March within the SNA) headquarters near the town of ceasefire so far and raises questions over Qah (Dana subdistrict), killing one civilian and whether it will continue to hold. injuring another. In humanitarian terms, the Response Government actions in response to Coordination Group (RCG) issued a statement opposition attacks in Aleppo? denouncing the breach of the ceasefire, stating the strikes hit highly populated areas hosting up SANA, the government news agency, claimed to 488 IDP camps. In an attempt to safeguard that Turkish-backed opposition groups in the civilians, educational complexes in Idleb western Aleppo countryside targeted suspended schools for one day following attacks government-controlled neighborhoods of Al- on civilian homes, a school and a public facility by Firdous and Al-Salihin in Aleppo city, launching government forces. Additionally, the Bab Al- artillery shells which resulted in the death of two Hawa Surgical Hospital also announced a one- civilians and wounding of seventeen others on day suspension of its internal and external clinics 21 March. This accordingly was used to justify to protect patients and visitors as a result of the the government’s subsequent attacks. On the bombing. same day, a spokesperson for the SNA, Major Youssef Hammoud, denied any opposition Upcoming gas shortages in northwest involvement in the events. Adding further difficulties for the Turkish- 5 March ceasefire agreement in backed administration, the gas factory hit by jeopardy Russian airstrikes was the sole point for collection and distribution of imported gas from On 23 March, Turkish news agencies reported Turkey. Gas cylinders are distributed from the that the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned factory to all opposition-controlled Idleb and Ankara’s Russian ambassador to discuss its areas in western Aleppo. With the supply temporarily halted as a result of the attack, prices of gas cylinders jumped from 78 to 82 TRY (and to 90 on the black market). Local sources reported that WATAD, a prominent fuel company which owns the factory is likely to use its stock of gas cylinders to avoid a gas crisis in the region as they work to repair the damage. Burning gas factory near Bab Al-Hawa crossing with Turkey (Source: AFP) MERCY CORPS HUMANITARIAN ACCESS WEEKLY REPORT, 19 – 25 March 2021 3 Security and living conditions, northeast masked gunmen exchanged machine-gun fire, with no casualties reported. Later on in the ISIS targets SDF members in evening, masked gunmen also targeted the SDF’s eastern Deir-ez-Zor al-Syriac checkpoint, with no casualties reported. On 19 March, Mazloum Al-Kurdi, the commander of the Self-Defense Regiment of the SDF's search and arrest operations Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was continue to trigger local tensions assassinated in the village of Jdid Ekeidat Between 20 and 21 March, the Kurdish Special (Khasham subdistrict) in eastern Deir-ez-Zor. Forces and the SDF raided the towns of Jdid Local sources reported that Al-Kurdi was on an Ekeidat, Jdidet Bakara and Dahleh, all in inspection tour of the regiment's various centers Khasham subdistrict, and arrested 20 individuals in Khasham subdistrict when his car was hit by on charges of collaborating with ISIS. Local explosives. The assassination of Al-Kurdi came sources reported on armed clashes between the days after Khalil Al-Wahsh, deputy commander residents of Jdidet Bakara town and the Kurdish of the Deir-ez-Zor Military Council, survived a Special Forces, after the latter killed a civilian second assassination attempt in Jdid Ekeidat during the search and arrest operation. (Khasham subdistrict). On 17 March, masked Following the incident, the victims' family and men on a motorcycle opened fire at Al-Wahsh’s relatives attacked the Special Forces and the vehicle while passing through the town of Jdid SDF, expelled them from the village, and warned Ekeidat. The first assassination attempt was in them not to return. Local influential figures such July 2019 when his vehicle was shot at by as the town's mayor, Turki Al-Rayyash, machine guns in Dahleh (Khasham subdistrict). intervened to resolve the dispute. Reports On 21 March, members of the SDF and the indicate that Al-Rayyash met with several local Internal Security Forces (formerly Asayish) were leaders from the SDF, and an investigation into targeted during celebrations of Nowruz (Persian the incident was agreed. New Year) in the town of Jazaret Albuhmeid (Kisreh subdistrict). ISIS prisoner escape in Sur Local sources reported that masked men on a On 22 March, 11 detainees escaped from a motorbike opened fire at the gathering killing prison run by the SDF’s Intelligence Service in two and wounding two others before escaping the town of Sur (Sur subdistrict). Local media the scene. The wounded were transported to Al- sources reported that the escapees were able to Shifa’ hospital. Further, in another attack on the dig a tunnel inside the prison's bathroom and SDF, on 23 March, in the town of Basira (Basira escaped through it during the absence of the subdistrict), masked gunmen launched an RPG at prison director and other key officials, who were the General Command building of the SDF- reportedly celebrating Nowruz in the city of Al- affiliated Basira Brigade. The SDF and the Hasakeh (Al-Hasakeh