Kurdish infant left motherless after Syrian army attack

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Five-month-old Sela has been crying incessantly since her mother was shot dead by forces affiliated with Damascus last month. The Kurdish family was fleeing military assaults toward Hasaka, unaware that their journey to safety would end in tragedy.

The Syrian government carried out a large-scale offensive against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) last month. The military push resulted in the SDF’s withdrawal from the Arab-majority cities of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa, as well as parts of Aleppo.

Mustafa Habib Lolo and his family were first displaced from the Kurdish city of Afrin in 2018, after it fell to Turkish-backed armed groups. They sought refuge in Raqqa, but when the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its affiliates advanced toward SDF-held areas, the family was forced to flee once again.

While en route to Hasaka, they and dozens of other fleeing families came under indiscriminate fire from Damascus-affiliated forces. Lolo’s wife—Sela’s mother—was shot in the head while shielding her infant daughter with a final, protective embrace inside their vehicle.

As of this report, Lolo has been unable to retrieve his wife’s body. Their five-month-old baby remains inconsolable; deprived of her mother’s milk, her family struggles to provide her with the nourishment and comfort she needs.

"We were in the vehicle. My wife was in the backseat of the car. The bullets were being fired indiscriminately. We lowered ourselves [to avoid bullets]. We had covered ourselves with a cloth. She and her mother were in the backseat. I covered them with my body to protect them. Because the bullet that hit the martyr [his wife] came from the qibla direction [directions towards Mecca] it hit her mother’s head," Lolo told Rudaw about the tragic incident. 

Numerous human rights violations were reported during the army’s offensive. Damascus has stated it is investigating the allegations and has pledged to hold those responsible accountable.

Moved by the family’s plight, local volunteers in Hasaka have stepped in to provide support. Avin Mustafa, a young teacher, is among those assisting the grieving father.

"When we heard about Sela—a five-month-old who lost her mother—we stepped in to help. We were deeply pained by her situation. I call on everyone to take care of our children. I hope these massacres stop, so everyone can return home and live in peace," the young teacher said. 

The Syrian army has halted its assaults on Kurdish areas following the latest agreement with the SDF, while families who lost loved ones continue to suffer from the tragedy.

Hussein Omar contributed to this article from Hasaka, Syria.