People's Protection Units (YPG) terrorists set fire to civilian homes in Tal Abyad before fleeing the district amid Turkey's ongoing anti-terror operation in northern Syria.
Adjacent to the Turkish border, the district center of Tal Abyad, located in northern Syria, was cleared of YPG terrorists on Sunday as part of Operation Peace Spring, which aims to eliminate the PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the YPG and any remaining terrorists of Daesh, east of the Euphrates River.
The operation was launched on Oct. 9 in order to secure Turkey's borders, aid the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria's territorial integrity.
Some of the civilians who had temporarily fled their homes for their safety found their houses burned after returning to Tal Abyad.
Anadolu Agency correspondents in the city recorded the images of the homes torched by YPG. Photos show that a large number of houses have become uninhabitable with everything indoors turned to ashes.
A mother from Tal Abyad, whose house was set on fire by terrorists, told Anadolu Agency: "I am an old woman. I have three daughters. We have nobody (to take care of us) but God."
"We had left our home and came back to find it like this. May Allah help us. We have nothing to sleep on. The clothes are burned. They burned everything," she said.
Her daughter also said: "The PKK burnt out our home. We left the district and when we came back we found our home burnt. We have nothing to sit on in our house. We borrowed things from our neighbors."
Ensuring security in Ras al-Ayn
Meanwhile, Turkish troops carrying out the operation with the support of the Syrian National Army (SNA) continue their sweep to ensure security in Ras Al-Ayn and its surroundings as soon as possible.
Turkish forces found tunnels where YPG terrorists took shelter during the clashes in the region. The troops are clearing the tunnels and residential areas of explosives to ensure the safety of the civilians. This network of tunnels dug by the terrorist connected several houses in the district. Meanwhile, similar sweeps are undertaken to clear any landmines planted by the YPG in the region.
On Monday, Ras al-Ayn and Tal Abyad were announced "under control" by Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.
The PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union — has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years, resulting in the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
