By Asaad al-Haj
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – On the road connecting the city of Afrin and the town of Rajo in northwest Syria –where Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), are in control – masked people at a mobile checkpoint stopped Abdulkarim al-Harbi while driving home.
The 51-year-old man thought that they are militants of SNA factions that have dozens of checkpoints in the area, but he was surprised when he realized that they were bandits who put a plastic bag on his head, tied his hands and threw him on the roadside.
In light of the security chaos, there have been many incidents of banditry against passersby on main and secondary roads in the Afrin region.
Al-Harbi, a pseudonym for an IDP who hails from the town of Khan Shaykhun, southern Idlib, told North Press that since he works as a driver, he has to move day and night in different areas.
Given the fact that there are dozens of checkpoints spreading in different areas, everyone thinks that there are no bandits, according to al-Harbi.
In fact, according to al-Harbi, what happened and what people have been hearing about lately, proved or revealed the truth of what is happening in the dark nights in northern Aleppo areas in general and in Afrin region in particular.
“They stole my car and cellphone and a sum of money exceeding $500, and then they removed their checkpoint and fled towards Afrin,” al-Harbi tells North Press.
In daylight, Amjad Kazo, 43, a resident of Afrin city, was lucky because he managed to escape at the last moment from a gang that had set up a checkpoint on one of the side roads at Rajo town.
“While I was heading to my farmland, I encountered an unexpected checkpoint along one of the side roads that lead to the farmlands. To my surprise, three young men were stationed there. However, it was evident that they were not SNA members due to their appearance. They were wearing masks and civilian clothing, and there was only a motorcycle near them,” Kazo recounts to North Press.
Kazo chose to escape and not stop. “I drove at high speed towards them as I could not go back because the road is secondary and narrow. They tried to stop me and when I crossed the checkpoint, one of them fired at the car, but he could not hit it because of the dense trees and my high speed,” Kazo says.
Since then, the man has not returned to his land for fear that they could recognize his car.
Akram al-Halabi, a pseudonym for a media activist who lives in Afrin city, recounts to North Press, “Most of these gangs follow SNA factions that control the area. These gangs exploit Rajo’s remote location from Afrin and the abundance of roads where traffic is almost nonexistent, especially at night.”
“In fact, Afrin has turned into a breeding ground for bandits and robbers who brazenly invade homes, often in the presence of the owners themselves. Approximately two months ago, we witnessed the murder of a woman from Afrin residents, as she attempted to defend herself against burglars who were looting her home, stealing furniture and her gold jewelry. The woman’s resistance prompted them to kill her with cold blood,” al-Halabi said.