Mostly not here, reach me on substack or at akmckeever@gmail.com
Feb 7, 2023 • 14 tweets • 9 min read
High quality video filmed by local photographer Obeida al-Hayani showing the scale of destruction in Cindires showing at least 41 completely collapsed buildings and dozens more significantly damaged. See map of video in next tweet (1/2)
From what we do see in the video the northern and western sides of the city were hit particularly bad. Many multi-story apartment buildings built post-2011 collapsed (2/2)
Jan 18, 2023 • 9 tweets • 6 min read
Thread of claimed IS attacks in northeastern Syria 2023.
-Jan 1: IED attack on SDF vehicle near Ain 'Isa, al-Raqqah. Claim two fighters injured
-Jan 2: IED attack on an SDF vehicle near Hazimah, al-Raqqah. Claim two fighters killed and a third wounded
-Jan 4: Attack on SDF checkpoint in al-Sabhah, Deir ez-Zour. Claim one fighter injured
-Jan 4: Attack on SDF logistics convoy (headed to al-Omar oil fields) east of al-Busayrah, Deir ez-Zour
Nov 11, 2019 • 16 tweets • 9 min read
THREAD: New report for @STJ_SYRIA_ENG I worked on detailing how a Turkish-backed group in Afrin recently used the famous Iron Age temple of 'Ain Dara, believed to date back as early as 1300 BC, for a live fire training exercise in late September. (1/12)
stj-sy.org/en/afrin-turki…
Footage published by opposition-affiliated Nedaa' on September 20th shows al-Jabhah al-Wataniyah lil-Tahrir members firing rifles and throwing hand grenades within the archaeological site's famed temple structure. (2/12)
Huge piece by @STJ_SYRIA_ENG showing how Turkey is essentially forcing Syrians in ES areas and Afrin to accept new ID cards registered with the TR MoI that erase their place of origin in favor of the whatever district they currently reside in.
stj-sy.org/en/syria-turki…
"I believe that it will be a threshold to demographic changes and efforts to exclude a specific group from its original place of birth, as well as installing it in another area, in the place of its original [pop.]. I did not want to be part of this scheme."
-Homsi IDP in Afrin
Oct 13, 2019 • 349 tweets • >60 min read
Seems that despite Turkey only managing to forcibly enter the ‘New Tel Abyad’ neighborhood SW of the city SDF have withdrawn from Tel Abyad and large parts of the border region
23 claimed attacks by Hêzên Rizgariya Efrînê, and 5 by Ghadab al-Zaytoun. 20 of these included proof/corroboration by rebel media
50% claimed attacks occurred in Afrin, 50% in Euphrates shield territory
11 ATGM launches, all by HRE
4/1: HRE ATGM strike on a target near Mare', video below
Feb 24, 2019 • 25 tweets • 24 min read
THREAD: Since the start of Olive Branch many reports of desecration of Afrin's religious sites and cemeteries have come out. Last year @ASOResearch's Jamie O'Connell published a great report compiling such claims which I will be expanding on here. (1/25) asor-syrianheritage.org/incident-repor…
Between 2/26-3/5 TSK or their allies destroyed the 'Ali Dada' shrine and part of the Anqele cemetery in order to build a military position on this W. Afrin hill. See this @bellingcat article for more detail. (2/25)
location: wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=3… bellingcat.com/news/mena/2018…
-Jan 4: Attack on SDF checkpoint in al-Sabhah, Deir ez-Zour. Claim one fighter injured
