Rate of robbing houses increases after quake in Syria’s Afrin
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – Robbery occurred in many houses and shops in Afrin in northern Aleppo as residents evacuated the cracked and damaged buildings and shops following the Feb. 6 earthquake that hit the region.
The town of Jindires west of Afrin was one of the most earthquake-devastated areas in Syria with more than 200 completely collapsed buildings and 500 others partially destroyed.
At dawn on Feb. 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Syria and Turkey, killing tens of thousands and injuring many more. The earthquake also caused immense destruction of buildings, trapping thousands under the rubble.
An exclusive source told North Press that several houses in Al-Vilat and Mazout Street in Afrin were robbed of electrical devices and household items.
The locals had evacuated their homes for fear of frequent aftershocks in the region.
The source added that the people had taken refuge in tents in the outskirts of the city or in makeshift camps with little belongings.
On Jan. 20, 2018, the Turkish forces and their affiliated armed Syrian opposition factions, also known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), launched the so-called “Olive Branch” military operation to push away the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the pretext of protecting “Turkish national security.”
The operation caused the displacement of about 300.000 of the original inhabitants of the Kurds of Afrin who have been taking shelter in 42 villages and five camps in Aleppo northern countryside, locally known as Shahba region, since then.