At least five civilians were killed in northern Syria after land mines planted by the YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist group, exploded near the Ain al-Arab, despite a declared cease-fire, Syria’s Information Ministry said.
In a statement posted by the ministry’s Aleppo regional office on Telegram, officials accused the YPG of continuing to besiege several villages and blocking humanitarian aid deliveries. The statement said mines planted in rural areas detonated over recent days, killing civilians attempting to return to their homes.
The ministry said aid convoys carrying food and medical supplies were dispatched to the area in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. It added that hundreds of residents were evacuated through a designated humanitarian corridor after shelters were prepared in the town of Sarrin and in central Aleppo.
According to the statement, the YPG has mined roads to prevent civilians from crossing into areas under government control, endangering tens of thousands of residents. Officials said more than 50,000 people remain trapped in villages under siege, including Tel Ahmar, al-Kubba and al-Jada, where access to basic food supplies remains limited.
Syrian authorities said video footage obtained from the area showed at least 22 people executed during an attack on Jan. 21, calling the incident a grave violation of international law.
They added that civilians were prevented from reaching the victims’ bodies.
Separately, families of civilians allegedly killed by the YPG staged protests near the Tishrin Dam, demanding that the bodies of their relatives be recovered and returned. Demonstrators appealed to the Syrian government and the United Nations to intervene.
Demonstrators carried placards reading, “We call on all humanitarian organizations to fulfill their responsibility to retrieve the bodies held by the YPG,” “More than 20 civilians were killed in attacks in Ayn al-Arab by Kandil gangs; all were civilians, none were fighters,” and “Where are international organizations? Where is the Red Crescent?”
Families urged the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other aid groups to act, adding that the bodies of the victims had been left exposed in open areas for eight days without any humanitarian conditions.
Syria’s Defense Ministry previously announced that a cease-fire with the YPG had been extended for 15 days starting on Jan. 24.
