MESOP NEWS ON THE HOUR : Kurdish forces regain new villages near Qamishli after ISIS withdrawal

ARA News – 24 Feb 2015 – Qamishli, Syria – Villages near the IS-held town of Tel Hamis in the southern countryside of Qamishli, in northeastern Syria, witnessed a mass displacement of civilians, following clashes between the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and militant fighters of the Islamic State (IS/ISIS), local sources reported on Monday.Speaking to ARA News in the Qamishli countryside, civil rights activist Ismail Ali reported: “About 50 families fled from the town of Tel Hamis and its surroundings, and have been housed in schools in the town of al-Hol.”

“Also the villages of Jazaa and Salima (administratively linked to Yarubia “Tel Kocher”) at the Syrian-Iraqi border witnessed a large movement of displacement due to the exchange of artillery fire between YPG and Islamists,” Ali said, pointing out that the bombings led to the death of three people in the village of Salima village.The victims were buried Monday in the town of al-Hol in eastern Hasakah.

In the meantime, Kurdish military sources told ARA News that the YPG forces were able to control the villages of Ziyada, Himr, Himr Akash, Jel Parat, Jel Parat Saghira, Mirza, Khirbet Baghl, Hurriya, Megrinat, Bizuna, Khirbet Tair, Tawil, Taya, Cheleki, Mezra Abu Hassan Hayahi, Amoudi, Zarij, Fares, and Faresok.

“These villages have been under the control of the Islamic State’s terrorists for months. After fierce clashes, our (YPG) forces were able to force the terrorists to withdraw from the villages,” the source reported. In other developments, the General Command of the Asayish forces (security arm of the Democratic Union Party “PYD”) issued a statement Monday, saying that since the early morning the Asayish forces has evacuated many civilians from the village of Tel Hamis, “due to the barbaric bombardment of the IS terrorists on the area”. “The cities of al-Jazeera province of (Hasakah) are open to the displaced families from Tel Hamis, “feel comfortable in our homes until we expel these terrorists from your land,” the Asayish leadership stated addressing the Arab residents of Tel Hamis. Reporting by: Dilshad Muhammad – Source: ARA News