Author Archives: akmckeever

Geolocation work for Syrians for Truth and Justice

Contributions to three reports published by Syrians for Truth and Justice, covering the destruction of a shrine in Afrin, civilian buildings hit by Turkish artillery, and a deep dive into the early stages of the civil war in the city of Ras al-‘Ain…

Afrin: Incidents Of Desecration And Destruction Of Cultural Sites

originally published on bellingcat.com Soon after the inception of Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch in January of 2018, reports began trickling out of Syria’s Afrin district detailing the desecration or destruction of numerous cultural sites in the region. Just two days into the operation, airstrikes inflicted significant damage on Ain Dara, a “Neo-Hittite temple…built by the Arameans inContinue reading “Afrin: Incidents Of Desecration And Destruction Of Cultural Sites”

Remnants Of The Deiri Opposition: Contention And Controversy In North Aleppo

originally published on bellingcat.com Since the onset of its direct intervention in Syria, Turkey has struggled to create stability in northern Aleppo. Writing in mid-2017, Aaron Stein and others attributed this to the Turkish development and support of two conflicting security apparatuses; the newly created local police forces and existent militant opposition, as well as local councilContinue reading “Remnants Of The Deiri Opposition: Contention And Controversy In North Aleppo”

Wrath of the Olives: Tracking the Afrin Insurgency Through Social Media

originally published on bellingcat.com Concluding in late March 2018, Operation Olive Branch resulted in the capture of Kurdish-populated Afrin district of Aleppo by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and allied Free Syrian Army (TFSA) factions. The bulk of Afrin’s YPG and YPJ defenders and over a hundred thousand of its inhabitants fled east to the nearby ShahbaContinue reading “Wrath of the Olives: Tracking the Afrin Insurgency Through Social Media”

Olive Branch Military Outpost Built Atop Afrin Cemetery

originally published on bellingcat.com Since the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and allied Syrian Arab and Turkmen militias concluded “Operation Olive Branch” in Syria in late March of 2018, allegations of human rights abuses have widely circulated on social media. Among these charges is the destruction of graveyards and accompanying shrines throughout Afrin. Videos and photographsContinue reading “Olive Branch Military Outpost Built Atop Afrin Cemetery”

Popular Front: Assassinations in Afrin

I spoke with Jake Hanrahan of Popular Front about the anti-TFSA/TAF insurgency conducted by the YPG and likely front groups in Aleppo’s Afrin district. The chat touched on conditions in Afrin following the Turkish invasion, as well as the security situation across Turkish-controlled Syria…

Jaysh Usud al-Sharqiya: Exiles of the Euphrates

originally published on bellingcat.com From eastern Aleppo to Raqqa to Mosul, the Islamic State (IS) appears to be losing ground on all sides in recent months. The same pattern holds true in southeastern Syria, a region that stretches from the Jordanian border to the city of Palmyra to the Euphrates river and only rarely featuresContinue reading “Jaysh Usud al-Sharqiya: Exiles of the Euphrates”