2015 al-Qamishli bombings
| 2015 al-Qamishli bombings | |
|---|---|
| Location | al-Qamishli, Al-Hasakah Governorate, Syria |
| Date | 30 December 2015 |
| Target | Assyrian Syriac Christians and Armenian Christians |
Attack type | Backpack bombs or suicide bombings |
| Deaths | 16+ |
Non-fatal injuries | 35+ |
| Perpetrators | Unknown |
Number of participants | 3 |
The 2015 al-Qamishli bombings refer to three bombs, that detonated in three restaurants in Wusta, an Syriac district of the Syrian-Turkish border town of al-Qamishli on 30 December 2015.[1] The first reports stated, that it were suicide bombings, however the military spokesman of the Syriac, Sootoro, in al-Qamishli, said, that the attacks were not suicide bombs.[2] A Kurdish militia spokesman said, that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant was responsible for the blasts and that the bombings were targeting Christians, but Assyrian organisations claimed that the bombings were not likely a deed by ISIL, but possibly a crime by the Kurdish YPG.[3] A total of 16 people were killed, 14 of the victims were Syriac Christians and 2 Muslims, also 35 people were wounded.[1][4]
Aftermath
| Wusta clashes (2016) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Syrian Civil War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Assyrians/Syriacs |
 Syrian Kurdistan | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
 Sootoro (GPF) |
 YPGAsayish | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| ~ 500 fighters | 30 vehicles, hundreds of fighters[5] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 killed, 2 wounded[5][6][7] | 3 killed[6] | ||||||
| 3 wounded[6] | |||||||
In the aftermath of the 2015 al-Qamishli bombings that targeted Syriac Christian restaurants, the Assyrian Sootoro defense militia set up security checkpoints around the perimeter of the al-Wusta neighborhood, a predominately Christian district of al-Qamishli.[6][8]
In the aftermath of the bombings, the Syriac Sootoro defense militia set up security checkpoints around the perimeter of the al-Wusta neighborhood.[6][8]
On 12 January, at around 12:45, a group of Kurdish YPG fighters approached a GPF manned checkpoint and demanded that the militia take down the security barriers, stating that the checkpoints bothered residents and must be removed.[7][8] When this was refused, a YPG gunner opened fire from a 30. or 50. caliber machine gun mounted on a technical vehicle. A GPF fighter was struck in the head and killed instantly.[6] In the aftermath, fighting and exchanges of gun fire continued for over an hour between both sides and ended when the YPG asked a Syrian government representative to mediate a ceasefire.[5] During the clashes, 3 YPG fighters were killed, 2 GPF were wounded, and 3 civilian was injured in the cross-fire.[5][6][7][8]
See also
References
- 1 2 "Dozens killed, wounded in multiple suicide bombings in Kurdish-controlled Syrian city/". rt.com. Russia Today. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ↑ "Bombing in Zaline (Qamishli), Syria". americanmesopotamian.org/. American Mesopotamian Organisation. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
- ↑ "Var Qamishli-massakern verkligen ett verk av IS?". hujada.com. Hujådå Magazine. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
- ↑ http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-kurds-idUKKBN0UD1WZ20151231
- 1 2 3 4 "LiveLeak.com - Assyrians in Sweden Demonstrate Against kurdish terror groups PYD-YPG Aggression in Syria". Retrieved 2016-01-25.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Kurds attack Assyrian Christian village in northern Syria". Hot Air. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
- 1 2 3 Agencies. "Assyrians and Kurds clash for first time in north Syria". www.mwcnews.net. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
- 1 2 3 4 "Assyrians and Kurds clash for first time in north Syria". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2016-01-25.