94 arrests documented in Syria’s Afrin since in November 2021

Al-Mahmoudiya forest in Afrin, north Syria – North Press
Al-Mahmoudiya forest in Afrin, north Syria – North Press

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Violations of the Turkish forces and the Turkish-backed armed Syrian opposition factions in Afrin region, north Syria, continue including cutting down trees, kidnapping civilians, and imposing the policy of Turkification. 

The Turkish-backed faction Sultan Murad cut down about 45 olive trees in Sharran district, in Afrin countryside, Afrin Post website reported on Tuesday. 

In Bulbul district, north of Afrin, the Turkmen settlers from Homs governorate, cut down 95 olive trees and 8 almond trees, the website added.

The Turkish-backed factions cut down olive trees with the onset of winter season for sake of trading and selling the wood in the market, according to the residents.  

In Rajo district, north of Afrin, the Turkish forces opened a school and named it Thabet Khalaf al-Huwaish, one of the dead of the Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sharqiya militia, through a ceremony during which Turkish flags were raised mainly over the school, in the presence of Turkish officials and leaders of armed factions.  

It is worth noting that the so-called Thabet al-Huwaish, known as Abu Abdurrahman Sharqiyah, was a former security official of the Islamic State (ISIS), and a leader of the Ahrar al-Sharqiya faction later.

Al-Huwaish was killed in VBIED explosion in the town of Suluk in the countryside of Tel Abyad, north of Raqqa on January 2020.

In a related context, the Violations Documentation Center in North Syria (VDC-NSY) has documented 94 detention cases in the Afrin region by Turkish-backed armed factions, since November 2021.

“The estimate of violence, arrest, kidnapping, crime, explosions, assassinations, cutting trees, and seizing the indigenous residents’ properties in the Afrin region and throughout areas held by Turkish forces and the Syrian factions affiliated with them in Syria’s north has increased,” the VDC-NSY report added.

On March 18, 2018, the Turkish forces and Turkish-backed armed factions, took control of Afrin displacing more than 300,000 of indigenous people and settled families of the factions’ members instead.