AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – The continued cases of robbery, looting of property, extortion and violations committed by Turkish-baked Armed groups in Syria’s northwestern city of Afrin led to fleeing of more people from the region.
Increasing incidents of looting of properties in private and public facilities in addition to illegal practices and inhuman violations, causes residents inability to protect themselves and their property in the region’s.
Mahmoud Mesto, a farmer from Rajo, told North Press that as he was in his farm busy picking vegetables and for his surprise after finishing a hard day job to discover looting his motorbike which was parked near the road.
“I went to the police station, who recorded the incident and promised me to arrest the thief but after a month passed since the theft incident and not informed of any information by the police station, I realized that my bike would not return,” he said.
Ibrahim Hajjo, 55, a resident of Rajo, who recently moved to Manbij, said Turkish-backed armed groups have accused him many charges including the use of his van by his relatives who were accused to be affiliated with the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (AANES) which had controlled Afrin before Turkish invasion in 2018.
After going to the court in the city of Afrin, they issued a decision to keep his car with him in order not to make a tension within people, he said.
But he was shocked after several months of the incident to loot his van from his garage after breaking the lock,
Hajo said, “I am sure that the members of Ahrar al-Sharqiya stole my car, after their malevolent looks at me when they crossed to their headquarters near my house, which prompted me to leave the area for fear of being subjected to harm, and nothing would save me from them.”
Turkish-backed armed groups control the region after they have taken control of all aspects of life. They arrest whomever they want, according to a member of Rajo police.
The officer, who refused to reveal his name for security reasons, told North Press that security authorities are unable to control security in the region due to the small number of them in comparison with the large numbers of factions in Afrin region.