The Turkish-backed groups are arresting people for ransom in Afrin region
North-Press Agency
Turkey's armed opposition groups continue their violations against civilians and private and public property in the city of Afrin.
Social media pages have published that the armed groups continue to cut down trees in Rajo district, export them to Turkey and sell them there.
These pages also noted the continuation of the Turkish-backed militia of "Sultan Suleiman Shah”, or what is locally known as (al-Amshat) to destroy shops in search for antiquities and archaeological remains.
Regarding the foregoing, the leader of the group Muhammad al-Jasim, known as Abu Amsha told the people of Shih district claiming that he would work on the rehabilitation of al-Tahtani mosque in the district center, where its construction dates back more than 100 years, but the main objective of the rehabilitation process is the search for antiquities in the center and the outskirts of the mosque, where he covered the excavation site in order to conceal what is being done inside.
Regarding the continued violations, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported a looting operation targeted citizens near the town of Rajo in Afrin countryside, where an armed group of five people was riding in a jeep yesterday cut off the road linking to Rajo district through the mountain villages, and then robbed two cars near the valley of Qassim village in Rajo district after the cars owners were handcuffed and threatened of death, then they drove the two cars towards the district of Rajo.
Furthermore, the Violations Documentation Center in northern Syria had documented that the Turkish-backed militia of "Sultan Suleiman Shah” in the days of (6-7-8) of January has imposed a siege on the village of Anqelleh in Sheikh Hadid area, and arrested six citizens, including a child and a woman.
According to sources in the village, the detainees are tortured, and their families are asked to pay ransom money reaching to $3000 for each detainee in exchange for their release.
It is noteworthy that since the beginning of January, the so-called "Security Services" of the armed opposition groups have intensified arrest campaigns in several areas of Afrin. In Jenderis area, the Military Police arrested Abdulrazzaq Muhammad in the village of Kafrdaleh Tahtani. The Military Police has arrested Muhammad, who was previously arrested a year ago, as he paid $8,000 in cash for his release.