Northwestern Syrians preparing for Eid al-Adha feast

By Esref Musa

TAL ABYAD, Syria (AA) – The people of Tal Abyad district of northwestern Syria will mark Eid al-Adha, the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice, in a peaceful environment.

The area was cleared of YPG/PKK terrorists by the Turkish Armed Forces and the Syrian National Army as part of the Operation Peace Spring.

While special teams are cleaning the main streets in the region, street lamps are illuminating in the marketplace. The Tal Abyad local council, in collaboration with a Turkish company, is providing uninterrupted power supply.

Majid Bathavi, a local, told Anadolu Agency that the resumption of power supply, coinciding with the feast, brings double joy.

"The Operation Peace Spring region is safe ... we are happy, and the situation is getting better by the day," said Asim Sami, another resident.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK − listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU − has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is PKK's Syrian offshoot.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar in Ankara