The city of Jarabulus in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, controlled by the Turkish-backed Syrian Interim Government (SIG), has witnessed a renewed outbreak of violence and chaos. This latest incident resulted in the tragic death of a young girl and injuries to several civilians, as the ongoing feud between two local clans escalated once again.
Unknown gunmen killed three members of the Al-Amin family in front of their home, local sources reported. The attackers, driving a Santa Fe, opened fire on two young men and their uncle at the city entrance in what is believed to be a retaliatory assault.
Syria TV, a Turkey-based outlet, confirmed the deaths and released video recordings showing the moment the gunfire erupted. The video has since circulated widely on social media, highlighting the violence plaguing the city.
A young girl, Aya Abdul-Zaidan, was also killed in a separate violent incident. Aya, from the village of Al-Suwaida in Al-Ghandoura’s countryside, was struck by explosive munitions that caused fatal head injuries. She had been in Jarabulus with her father to complete paperwork for her preparatory certificate exams.
The clashes injured ten people, mostly civilians uninvolved in the conflict. Military and civilian police forces, along with Turkish army armored vehicles, eventually intervened to stop the shooting. The violent feud between the Tay and Jiss clans has been ongoing for over a year. Initial clashes resulted in five deaths, and the conflict has since seen intermittent skirmishes and assassinations, often claiming the lives of uninvolved civilians.
On April 8, a member of the Jiss clan was killed by a Tay clan member in front of his workplace in Jarabulus. Weeks earlier, gunmen from the Tay clan killed a pregnant woman and her unborn child, injuring her husband. These incidents have intensified the already volatile situation.
The current clashes reportedly began with a quarrel between Jiss clan members, gathered to demand information on a kidnapped civilian, and Tay clan members from the same neighborhood. The altercation quickly escalated into armed conflict, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
Previously, the Military Police Administration threatened a joint security operation in Jarabulus, supported by the Syrian National Army (SNA) in the wake of a siege of the city of Jarabulus by the feuding clans a few months ago. While the authorities vowed to apprehend those responsible for the tribal violence and end the chaos in the region, no such measures have been implemented.
As Jarabulus continues to grapple with this violent turmoil, the safety and security of its civilian population and public security remain in jeopardy.