AFRÎN - Local sources in the Afrin city center reported that a civilian convoy trying to return to Jindires had been hit by Turkish warplanes. No information on casualties has been obtained yet. Furthermore, the reports also say a group of civilians wanting to return to Afrin from Basute village was targeted by howitzer and artillery attacks.

 

Attack of Turkey and turkey-backed groups on Afrin has been going on continuously since last night. As the attacks continue on 58th day, the local sources in the Afrin city center reported that a civilian convoy consists of 300 people trying to return to Jindires had been hit by Turkish warplanes. The local sources also reported that many people have been killed in the bombardment and no information has been obtained from the region due to ongoing airstrike.

 

Furthermore, the reports also say a group of civilians wanting to return to Afrin from Basute village was targeted yesterday by howitzer and artillery attacks and no clear information about the number of killed people has been obtained from the region.

 

The local sources also reported that a group of civilians trying to go out from Eshrefiye and Mahmudiye neighborhoods were hit by howitzer fire and six civilians were killed in the attack.

 

Civilians used as human shield

 

The reports also say the civilians don’t leave their homes have been used as human shield by Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and Free Syrian Army (FSA) while controlling the buildings and the dead bodies are being tortured by the TSK and FSA.

 

The local sources say many civilians are still in the city center and they have faced the risk of massacre.

 

SOHR: 289 civilians killed in Afrin

 

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has reported that the death toll of civilians killed in the attacks of AKP on Afrin began on January 20 rises to 281. SOHR states that 43 of killed civilians were children.