SNA faction sets fire to forests in Syria’s Afrin
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – A faction of the Turkish-backed armed opposition, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), deliberately set fire to forests in Afrin region in northwestern Syria that has been ongoing for the past few days.
Local residents told North Press on Monday that Sham Legion (Faylaq al-Sham) faction deliberately set fire to forests in the town of Rajo in the north of Afrin.
On July 25, militants of Sham Legion started the fire in the woods near the village of Ali Biske.
Residents attempted to extinguish the flames but were unsuccessful due to the rough terrain and strong winds, which caused the fire to spread over large areas.
An eyewitness said the militants started burning the trees to collect the remnants and sell as charcoal.
He added there a place near where the fire broke out for gathering and selling charcoal.
Social media users shared footage of the fires, showing no efforts being done by the Turkish-run local councils in the area to control the ongoing flames.
Since the occupation of Afrin by Turkish forces and SNA factions in Operation “Olive Branch” in 2018, they have been logging trees, and clearing vast lands, turning green spaces into barren lands.
On March 21, 2023, a report by PAX, a Dutch peace initiative, said that forest cover in parts of the Turkish-occupied region of Afrin may have decreased by about 57 percent since 2018.
The report highlighted deforestation across Syria’s western regions may have decreased by 20-30 percent since 2011.
In the course of a century, Syria’s forests have gone from covering between 15 and 32 percent the country to merely 2.6 percent.