Turkey’s SNA suppresses protests in Syria’s Afrin
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – The Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), suppressed on Sunday a protest in the countryside of the city of Afrin in Northwest Syria.
The protests took place in the village of Kakhre (Yakhour) in the town of Mabata, north of the city of Afrin, against the abuses of Sultan Suleiman Shah, aka al-Amshat Division, affiliated with the SNA, which have increased recently.
North Press correspondent reported that several women were injured due to an attack by the al-Amshat militants, who used hoses and sticks to disperse the protesters.
The demonstration began in front of a security headquarters belonging to the al-Amshat faction after its militants assaulted a man named Hassan Rashid in front of his home and insulted his wife with vulgar language.
The events escalated, leading the faction to cut internet access to the village, deploy its militants throughout the village and side streets, and impose a curfew, all while firing gunshots and chanting slogans and insults against the villagers, threatening to arrest anyone who left their homes.
The correspondent added, citing a local source, that the ongoing abuses by the faction, such as imposing extortion and seizing land and property from the villagers, are the main reasons for the escalating tensions among the residents.
Since March 2018, the Kurdish-majority region of Afrin has been occupied by Turkey and controlled by SNA factions following Turkey’s “Olive Branch” military operation, which aimed to drive out the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the stated justification of safeguarding “Turkish national security.”