Rocket attacks on Turkish town from IS-held Syria provoke riots

KILIS, Turkey – Angry residents had to be dispersed with water cannons and shots fired in the air after the government failed to stop the third rocket attack of the day on this town along the Syrian border.

One person was reported killed and 16 wounded on Sunday after the rocket struck the central square of Kilis, which is about one kilometre away from Syria and territory held by the Islamic State (IS) group.

The local government office hung up when MEE phoned to ask its position on the attacks and subsequent riot. The mayor's spokesman said he was not in a position to comment. At least three men who participated in the protests were later seen wearing handcuffs as they were taken into the police station.  

In addition to angering residents, the attacks may raise fears that a refugee camp outside town, where Syrians are to be returned to Turkey under the EU's controversial refugee-returns deal, is an unsafe location. 

One Syrian refugee interviewed outside the established Oncupinar camp, adjacent to the Syrian border, said: "We don't know when or where a bomb will hit. We don't feel safe."

German Prime Minister Angela Merkel was reportedly supposed to visit a new camp next to Oncupinar for refugees being returned under the deal, but that was cancelled. Instead, on Saturday she visited a long-established camp miles from the border, which was dismissed by human rights groups as a tour of a "sanitised" centre.

Yalcin Akdogan, Turkey’s deputy prime minister, was in Kilis at the time of the attack on the square, and later said in a statement that Kilis residents should avoid gathering in public places. 

Since the beginning of the year, Kilis has been struck by about 50 rockets fired from IS-held territory in Syria, which have left 15 people dead and many more wounded. Residents have become increasingly frustrated at the government’s failure to halt the attacks, although authorities insist they are retaliating. 

On Saturday, Prime Minister Ahmed Davutgolu said the army "keeps destroying launch points in Syria," but admitted the terrorist group's use of mobile launchers sometimes made counter-attacks difficult.

On Sunday, smoke could be seen rising from IS-held territory across the border, and there were sounds of gunfire and explosions from the area.

Earlier on Sunday, 16 people were wounded as two rockets apparently fired from IS-held Syrian territory struck residential areas of Kilis, destroying two family homes.

Growing resentment

"We feel cursed, the danger follows us everywhere," said Zakaria, who is originally from the embattled Syrian city of Aleppo and saw a two-metre-wide hole torn through his apartment by one of the rockets on Sunday morning.

His ground-floor home of four years - occupied by eight Syrians - was left in a state of disarray, with a child's bouncer ripped to pieces and glass strewn across rugs. 

"Suddenly there was dust everywhere; I couldn't see my children through it," Zakaria said. "The problem with rockets is there is no sound and we didn't see it coming. At least in Syria we could hear the planes attacking us.”

The building's landlord said he hoped the government would help with the cost of repairs. The attacks were not the fault of the Syrians, he said.

"They barely have enough money for bread and I know this has happened to them as well as to us. I do not blame them," he said. 

But increasing resentment towards the refugees in Kilis is evident. Zakaria's brother Youssef said locals broke the wing mirror off an ambulance taking those wounded in this morning's attack to hospital, and the vehicle was prevented from leaving until police arrived on the scene. 

Aladeen, a Syrian shopkeeper in Kilis, said the rocket attacks had increased local Turks' resentment at Syrians living in the town, which is now home to about 120,000 refugees, outnumbering the local Turkish population of 80,000.

"IS is randomly shelling to increase rage against Syrians, so that they will be kicked out of Kilis, he told MEE. "Most Turkish people here say this is not Syrians' fault, but after stuff like this some of them start to think they are the cause after all."

A few streets away from Youssef and Zakaria's home, another rocket hit a Turkish family's home, ripping through one wall and leaving family photos strewn across the floor. 

Abdi, who lives in the house with his father, was taken to hospital with minor injuries. He said : "I didn't see the bomb, but suddenly just felt a huge explosion. IS is our neighbour here and I am scared." 

A police officer in Kilis told MEE journalists: "Kilis has a lot of problems now; you should go back to London.”