Turkey has restored a water supply network for 35 villages in northern Syria's Tal Abyad district after it was sabotaged almost a year ago by the PKK terrorist organization’s Syrian wing, the YPG.

Following Turkey's Operation Peace Spring against the terrorist group and the liberation of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain, the YPG destroyed the local electricity networks, which eventually disrupted the functioning of the water networks in the surrounding towns and villages.

Samer Issa, the officer in charge of water resources in the local council of Tal Abyad, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the Turkish Irrigation Directorate in Şanlıurfa installed pumps and electric converters to pump water in the region.

Issa added that 3,500 people are benefiting from the water supply. The villages are using the water for consumption and irrigating their farms.

Abu Mahmoud, a resident from the village of Tayba, told AA that before the problem was solved, the villagers had to walk 8 kilometers (about 5 miles) to get water for their families.

Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring on Oct. 9, 2019, to eliminate YPG terrorist elements east of the Euphrates to secure Turkey's borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria's territorial integrity. As part of the operation, Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain were officially cleared of terrorist elements.

Since the successful completion of Operation Peace Spring, the Turkish military and some institutions have implemented a wider range of measures to eradicate traces of terrorism in the liberated Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad districts by repairing hospitals and schools, demining the region and, most recently, providing vital COVID-19 aid.

Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain, together with other liberated areas, have been put back on the road to normalization with Turkey's rebuilding efforts. Citizens frequently voice that daily life is getting better as a result of the reconstruction and infrastructure work.