AANES urges caretaker government to explain arrests in Syria’s Afrin
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The Foreign Relations Department of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) urged on Saturday the Syrian caretaker government to clarify a series of unexplained events in Afrin, northwestern Syria.
The Department specifically called for an explanation regarding the sudden entry and subsequent withdrawal of a military convoy, as well as the mass arrests of local youth that followed.
Last week, a security convoy from the Military Operations Command entered Afrin, reportedly aiming to end the influence of Turkish-backed armed factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), in the region. However, the convoy withdrew without any explanation, and soon after, mass arrests were reported among those who had gathered to welcome its arrival.
Kamal Akif, the official spokesperson for the Foreign Relations Department, commented, “We observed a convoy from Aleppo’s General Security forces entering Afrin, only to withdraw abruptly with no explanation. In its wake, there were mass arrests of young men who had come out to receive the forces.”
In the statement, the Department expressed deep concern over these developments, noting that they “raise suspicions, stir alarm, and intensify the suffering of our people under occupation,” implicitly referring to Turkey’s role in the region.
The statement also stressed the urgent need to prioritize the return of Afrin’s residents to their rightful areas, underscoring this as a critical priority for the region’s future stability.