15,000 IDPs trapped in northern Aleppo – AANES official
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – An official of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), said on Thursday that approximately 15,000 people remain trapped in the villages in northern Aleppo countryside awaiting evacuation, expressing concern over the unknown fate of dozens of families.
Mohammad Sheikho, co-chair of the “Afrin and Shahba” council, a local body affiliated with AANES, stated to the Kurdish Ronahi channel that around 15,000 people are trapped in the Sherawa district and the Shahba region.
Sheikho revealed that around 100,000 displaced individuals from the northern Aleppo countryside have managed to reach Northeast Syria.However, many remain vulnerable to ongoing violence in the region.
Sheikho highlighted documented cases of civilian killings and torture in the northern Aleppo countryside by Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA)
He added that SNA factions exert severe pressure on residents. “A curfew has been imposed, and phones have been confiscated,” he stated.
He further noted that the factions have committed grave crimes, including the arrest and killing of women. “In some cases, women have been beheaded,” Sheikho said, citing reports from monitoring organizations that have documented these atrocities.
Sheikho issued an urgent appeal to the international community and human rights organizations, calling for immediate intervention to prevent further massacres of civilians.
He warned that Turkish-backed SNA factions are forcing displaced individuals to return to Afrin, where they face systemic violations and life-threatening conditions.