Clashes among Turkey s backed armed groups in Afrin, the increase of olive tree cutting operations
Afrin – North-Press Agency
The Syrian-Kurdish region of Afrin region, which is under the occupation of the Turkish military and the control of Turkish-backed armed opposition groups, is witnessing a state of security chaos and intense dispute among those armed groups, with the aim of stealing and seizing the properties of the indigo people of the region and cutting down the olive trees, causing frequent incidents of fighting among them. As local sources reported the eruption of clashes between "Sultan Suleiman al-Fateh" militia and a displaced person named "Abu Shadi" in the village of Mamel Oshaghy (Mamala), of Mabatli district, yesterday on Wednesday.
The clashes erupted after a dispute concerning the seizure of firewood, as the aforementioned armed group deliberately expelled the family of "Abu Shadi" from Mamala village. While cutting and vandalizing olive trees and theft of crops continue at an increasing rate, since the Turkish military and its affiliated armed groups took control over Afrin region.
The sources also confirmed logging incident between the villages of Karzila and Andara, in Sherawa district, south of Afrin, without further details about the incident.
It is noteworthy that Mabatli and Sheikh-Hadid districts in Afrin region have witnessed the cutting down of thousands of trees dozens by the Turkish military and its affiliated armed opposition groups.
Earlier, "Amshat" militia, affiliated with Turkey has intentionally cut dozens of olive trees in Shorba village of Mabatli district and in Khalil village of Sheikh-Hadid district, where the trees' date back to more than 60 years.
Likewise, the Turkish-backed armed opposition groups have deliberately cut down hundreds of olive trees in the district of Bulbul in Afrin region, while the opposition groups set fire to the forests of Haj Hasanli village, known as “Kazakli” mountain in Sheikh-Hadid district in Afrin region, where hundreds of forest trees were burned.