Turkish-backed faction imposes harsh levies on Syria’s Afrin residents
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – The Turkish-backed armed faction of Sultan Suleiman Shah, known as al-Amshat, imposed levies up to $5,000 on residents of a town in Afrin region, northwestern Syria, local sources said on Monday.
The sources revealed that al-Amshat, controlling the village of Kakhra in Mabata (Maabatli) district, north of Afrin, has confiscated dozens of agricultural and personal vehicles from residents unable to pay imposed levies.
These levies target olive trees and have exacerbated the hardships faced by the population.
Reports indicate that security forces of al-Amshat arrested Masoud Mohammad Muhajir in Kakhra last week, releasing him only after he paid $1,500. Similarly, Shiyar Abbo was detained and forced to pay $3,400 to secure his freedom.
The faction’s brutal practices also extended to physical violence. Mohammad Issou suffered severe injuries, including a fractured vertebra and a neck wound, after being assaulted by al-Amshat members.
He was released only after paying $1,500. When local women tried to intervene, they were beaten, with one woman sustaining severe injuries.
Further abuses include demanding fees ranging between $3,000 and $5,000 from families attempting to return to the village, ostensibly to allow them entry.
Female university students from Aleppo were also coerced into paying $1,500 each. Despite these payments, al-Amshat has refused to return homes to displaced families.
In a related development, the Turkish-backed Military Police arrested 18 residents of Jindires town and its surrounding villages, accusing them of collaborating with the Autonomous Administration. While some detainees were released after paying hefty fines in dollars, others remain imprisoned on the same charges.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated the group, along with Hamza Division and their leaders, Muhammad Hussein al-Jassem (Abu Amsha), and Saif Abu Bakr for committing “serious human rights abuses” against the people of Afrin, mainly the Kurds.
Afrin has been under the occupation of Turkey and the SNA factions since 2018 following a military operation dubbed “Olive Branch” against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the pretext of preserving Turkey’s national security.