HTS confiscates lands, property of Druze community in Idlib
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Hayat Tahrir al-Sham faction (once known as al-Nusra Front) has confiscated agricultural land and houses in several Druze villages in the countryside of Idlib in northwestern Syria since early September, a source said on Saturday.
An official from the HTS’ Development Office said the Shura Council led by Abu Mohammad al-Julani issued a decision to confiscate and transfer Druze assets to the faction’s treasury.
The official argued that the owners of these properties, who are currently residing in Damascus, have been identified as “collaborators with the Syrian regime,” and thus their assets are deemed to belong to the faction’s treasury.
The confiscated properties since the start of the month include over 360 hectares of agricultural land and approximately 21 houses and residential buildings in the villages of Kafr Beni, Batenta, Qurqania, and Maarrat al-Ikhwan in the Jabal al-Samaq area in northern Idlib.
The official further added that the seized houses will be allocated to the families of HTS militants.
Meanwhile the agricultural land will be repurposed for investment projects managed by the Development Office of the Salvation Government, which is run by HTS.
The Druze community in the Jabal al-Samaq area, which comprises 18 villages and relies heavily on agriculture and government employment, has significantly declined since the outbreak of popular protests and the rise of armed groups.
The population has dropped from about 32,000 Druze to fewer than 1,500 currently in the area, according to the source.
Since 2022, the total amount of property confiscated from the Druze community in northwestern Syria is estimated to exceed 5,500 hectares of agricultural land and over 700 houses and commercial properties, which have been redirected to agricultural and investment projects.