Turkish-backed opposition imposes blockade on Yezidi village in Syria’s Afrin
ALEPPO NORTHERN COUNTRYSIDE, Syria (North Press) – Human Rights Organization which operates in Aleppo northern countryside, said on Thursday that militants of the Turkish-backed armed opposition have been besieging the Yezidi village of Basofan, south Turkish-occupied Afrin region, northwestern Syria, since the beginning of December.
“Militants of Sham Legion (Sunni armed group formed in March 2014 and affiliated with Muslim Brotherhood) prohibit the entry of foodstuff to the village,” the organization added in a statement.
“Militants of the Legion shooting indiscriminately on the residents’ houses late at night to create a state of horror and fear among civilians,” the organization noted.
The organization pointed out that there are only 200 people left out of 3,500 who were residing in the village, because they were subjected to all kinds of violations and deprived of practicing their religious rituals, in addition to forcing them to adopt Islam.
A source from the village who resides outside, told North Press that the Sham Legion kidnapped today, a civilian woman called Ghazala Mannan Salmo, 40, along with her son and daughter, and they were taken to an unknown place.
The armed opposition intends to destroy the village’s school and build a mosque in its place, in addition to settling people who came from regions where the opposition lost for the benefit of the Syrian government, according to the source.
Earlier in December, the Sham Legion arrested 20 people from the village and beat the women and the elderly, because the villagers refused to left their village and refused building a mosque in it.