SBS Assyrian contributor Naseem Sadiq filed this report from the Duhok-Kurdistan region.
Mr Sadiq interviewed the Selected head of the village (mukhtar) and a farmer, Youkhana shaba Hermis, who looks after his own herd of sheep in his village. Breeding sheep is his main source of income.
He says the bombardment started 2-3 weeks ago but the shelling intensified in the past 2-3 days. This heavy shelling is preventing us from farming, we can't go outside to herd the sheep, irrigate the fields.
The selected Head of the village Source: Naseem.jpg
People started fleeing the villages, it is internal migration. People have no choice but to flee to more safe areas. "We are really in a despaired situation, we don't know what else we can do apart from fleeing".
Mr. Hermiz says that there is a war between the Turkish army and the PKK forces, a war we have no say in it. The PKK forces come to our village to seek refuge and hiding, the Turkish military traces them and starts bombing and shelling our village. We can't stop the PKK forces, we don't have the backing or power to prevent them from entering the village.
Mr. Hermiz says there were nineteen families in the village, nine of them fled. The rest, including him, have sheep to look after and that is the only work they do. and if that means they will die there, so let be it.
There is no other choice but to stay and look after the sheep and if that means our death, so let be it
Mr. Hermiz is appealing to the international community to interfere and try to stop this attack by Turkey and try to find a peaceful solution.
unexploded Turkish shell lying on the village's field Source: Naseem.jpg
Naseem Sadiq also interviewed the village's Facebook page publisher, Mr. Younan Dano, who told SBS that operation Eagle-Clow-2 has intensified lately and is nearing our village. Turkish warplanes and heavy artillery are nonstop. The village and surrounding areas look like a war front.
after a council of the elders of the village and representatives met with government officials, the decision was made for all residents of the affected areas must leave, including people from our village.
Many Assyrian villagers left, only one person per family stayed back. There was about four to five youth staying in the village. "As the bombing intensified, none of the villagers were able to go outside fearing they will be shot by helicopters of the Turkish army". Mr. Dano says.
reporter Younan Dano Source: Younan.jpg
Mr. Dano says that the children of the village and from the experience of this war, are familiar with the sound of different rockets, last night he says," there was a rocket that had a very unfamiliar and strange sound as it approached the village."
Mr. Dano says yesterday, the head of the village went out of his house exploring the area and he found an unexploded artillery shell in the field then he found out that it was only ten meters from his house in the village.
Mr Dano says that a small nation like us that is caught in this war, has no choice but to leave. There are some families who have many sheep. For example, there is someone who has about 200 sheep. Now he is in a hard situation. If he flees, then who is going to take care of the sheep? by staying back, he is in danger of his house been shelled and he faces death.
Finally, Mr Dano says there has been some assistance from officials. As for Assyrian parliamentarians that we had talks with, they promise they will do their best to help, yet to be seen
Report by: Naseem Sadiq Source: Supplied
