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A field-based commentary from Syria’s Washukani camp showcasing why civilians who fled Turkey’s Peace Spring offensive in 2019 still refuse to return home.
In October 2019, Turkey launched a military campaign codenamed “Operation Peace Spring” to drive the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) away from its border and carve out a “safe zone” in northern Syria. A year and a half later, civilians who fled the fighting say they are too scared to go back home as long as rebels of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) occupy the area. Lootings, kidnappings, and attacks at the hands of these groups have been widely documented whilst Kurdish forces are accused of carrying indiscriminate car bomb attacks in areas under the effective control of Ankara.