DaxuyanWergerandinالقسم الكوردي (kurdi)

Afrin Under Occupation (287): Exposing Violations by the “Ninth Division,” Armed Robbery of a House in “Raju,” Forced Disappearance of “Ismail” for Five Months, Removal of Forest and Shrine of “Parse Khatoun,” Turkish Sponsorship of “Heaven”s Saplings,” Chaos, Theft of Grape Leaves and “Abu Amsha” Levies

Arabic to English Translation*

Turkey and its henchmen claim stability and safety for the areas in Syria under their control, while the Syrian Coalition’s Islamist militias falsely claim to protect civilians and their properties within their sectors. However, their elements and close affiliates roam freely, acting like thieves, stealing and causing corruption without restraint or accountability.

Here are some facts about the prevailing conditions:

= A defector from “Ainjara” exposes violations and crimes of the “Ninth Division”:

In line with our previous publications and new information obtained from a local source, the defector known as “Abu Ahmed” from the town of “Ainjara” in western Aleppo countryside, whose family seized houses in the village of “Mamolo Gharbi” in the Raju district since the area was occupied in 2018. His children were among the ranks of the “Ninth Division” militias controlling the village. In a video posted on “TikTok,” he exposes violations and crimes committed by the leaders and members of the division against the Kurds and their area, including:

– Suppressing Kurds and confiscating their olive oil.

– Collecting $80,000 as the price for stolen railroad tracks.

– Stealing half a kilogram of gold jewelry from the house of citizen “Luqman Ismail Ahmed” in “Mamala Gharbi” and causing his wife’s divorce.

“Abu Ahmed” accuses the leaders of the “Ninth Division” (Abu Jalal – Captain Abdul Nasser Jalal Shallouh from the city of Daret Azza in western Aleppo countryside, his deputy and his nephew Haroun Rashid/Daret Azza, Raji Al-Hallou, Ahmed Mabaky) explicitly, and indirectly implicates “Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Taqqish” in the violations. He was expelled from the area by his cousin “Abu Ala”a Al-Taqqish,” one of the officials of the “Military Police Branch in Raju,” to avoid embarrassment.

According to the local source, three years ago, the brothers “Luqman, /31/ years old, and Masoud, /35/ years old, sons of Ismail Ahmed” were pressured and accused by one of the leaders of the division, who stole gold from Luqman’s house and kidnapped the brothers for months on false charges. They were subjected to severe torture, and after their release, “Masoud” and “Luqman”s wife” fled to Europe in forced migration, while Luqman was forced to stay with his elderly father in the village.

= Armed robbery of a house in the town of “Raju”:

On the night of May 2, 2024, an armed group raided the house of the Kurdish citizen “Salah Hussein, nicknamed Bashna Gerieh” from the village of “Haj Jamal,” in the center of Raju town. They used a tranquilizer spray to immobilize “Salah, his wife, and their daughter,” then stole $2,500, gold jewelry (necklace and bracelets) from the wife’s neck and wrist, /13/ cans of olive oil (each 16 kg net), and other items.

While transporting the oil by motorcycles to the house of one of the thieves known as “Al-Aswad/The Black” from Ghouta in the Damascus countryside and a former member of the “Army of Islam,” the police militia arrested about /20/ of them accused of theft in separate groups, belonging to the “Army of Islam Formerly and the Northern Brigade and the Ninth Division” militias. Some of them have relatives in the ranks of the “Military Police in Raju,” especially since the head of the gang, “Ahmed,” was smuggled out of the police station where he was arrested.

As part of its campaign, the “police” arrested innocent Kurdish citizens on the pretext of being associated with some of the thieves, including “Alan Idrees Muhammad – a barber, Muhammad Omar Huskilo – a motorcycle mechanic, Jiwan Khalousi Habash, Mustafa Sabri, Khalil son of Shablo,” who were beaten and insulted until they were released hours later.

According to the local source, there have been about /20/ cases of home burglaries against Kurds in the town of Raju during the month, accompanied by beating, humiliation, and death threats to homeowners. If anyone complains to the “police,” they are charged a bribe of /150/ Turkish liras.

= Arbitrary arrests:

The occupation authorities arrested:

On November 17, 2023, the citizen “Ismail Muhammad Zaki Ali, /25/ years old,” from the village of “Gamrouk” in Mobato/Mabatli, upon his arrival at the outskirts of Jarablus city from the destination of displacement Aleppo, intending to return to his village. However, the militias of the “Syrian National Army” kidnapped and forcibly disappeared him, and his fate remains unknown. His relatives kept silent about the matter and contacted mediators, but they were blackmailed and paid about $9,000 in bribes hoping to identify his whereabouts and secure his release, but to no avail!

Ten days ago, the citizen “Imad Rashid Habash, /50/ years old,” from the town of “Badino,” by the Turkish intelligence and police militia, on charges of association with the former autonomous-administration. When he visited “the local council in Raju” to obtain an ID card after returning from Aleppo, his displacement destination, to his home about a month ago, even though he had only worked briefly as a civilian driver with the administration, then He was transferred to Afrin’s center.

On April 3, 2024, the citizen “Sadeeka Sheikh Blo, /55/ years old,” from the village of “Bolio” in Bulbul, by the Turkish intelligence and police militia, on charges of association with the former autonomous-administration after she arrived in the village about twenty days ago, returning from Aleppo, a displacement destination, and was released a week after detention and fined.

= Fire in “Parse Khatoun” Forest and Removal of the Yazidi Shrine:

“The Civil Defense in Afrin” reported that its teams, on May 4, 2024, extinguished a fire in the “Bersaya Mountain Forest north of the city of Azaz.” Upon reviewing the published photos, deliberate wide-scale tree cutting is observed, previously known as the “Parse Khatoun Mountain- Parse Xatûn.” It is named after the Yazidi religious shrine at its summit, overlooking the village of “Qastal Jendu” to the west and the city of Azaz to the southeast, belonging to the Sharra/Sharran district of Afrin. Comparing two Google Earth images (January 28, 2018, before the occupation, and July 26, 2022, after the occupation and cutting), a significant deterioration of a forested area estimated at about /40/ hectares is evident due to continuous deliberate cutting, as well as the removal of the shrine and the cutting of its old trees, by the militias of the “Syrian National Army” and their close affiliates.

= Turkish Care for “Paradise Blossoms”:

As a confirmation of the official Turkish care and direct administration within the (integrated occupation system of the Afrin region without official recognition from the Erdogan government), on May 8, 2024, “Aziz Aktan )Aziz AKTAN(, General Coordinator for Religious Affairs in the North, Omar Cesar )Ömer SEZER(, Guardian of Orphans, and Dr. Adeil Shahin )Dr. Adil ŞAHİN(, Imam and Preacher in Istanbul – Fatih,” visited the nurseries of “Paradise Blossoms (21) in Afrin city and (4) in Sharran town,” accompanied by “Yusuf Kasar – General Coordinator for Religious Affairs in Olive Branch, Salah al-Din Krro, Director of Fatwa in Afrin, and Salah Abu Bakr, General Director of Paradise Blossoms Nurseries,” to “review the work progress, confirm activities and programs, and provide gifts to children,” to teach Syrian children (4-6 years old) Turkish language, culture, and alongside strict religious teachings, in the context of the systematic Turkification policy, in addition to the militaristic symbols and Turkish flags prevailing in places and activities, as well as a display board for young children with “weapons” and military attire, contradicting children’s rights and principles of proper education.

= Chaos and outlaw:

– On the night of May 7, 2024, clashes occurred between two armed groups of the “Eastern Army/Jaysh Al-Sharqiya” militias inside their headquarters in the village of “Hamam” – Jenderes, and in the morning at the crossing leading to Turkey, resulting in the killing of three members and the injury of others due to disputes over sharing smuggling points and their revenues.

  = Other Violations:

All grape vineyards in the villages of “Gamrouk, Kukaneh” – Mobato/Mabatli and its surroundings, and in the village of “Naza” – Sharran, are subject to theft of leaves by the families of armed militants and their close affiliates, day and night, sometimes in front of security checkpoints, randomly damaging the grape bushes and causing grapes to fall, while militias impose fees on what remains of the grape leaf harvest for their owners.

In the village of “Heikejeh” – Jenderes, the militias of the “Sultan Suleiman Shah Division – Al-Amshat” impose a fee of $300 on every farmer who digs an artesian well and on anyone who extends a hose from the well to any agricultural field.

All of this, and the people of Afrin do not trust the Turkish occupation authorities” security and judicial powers to investigate the perpetrators of violations and crimes and refer them to fair trials to protect and preserve their lives and rights. Instead, they avoid resorting to them as much as possible and refrain from interacting with militia members and leaders to preserve their dignity and out of fear of further atrocities.

11.05.2024

Media Office-Afrin

Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria (Yekiti)

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Images:

“Abu Ahmad Ainjara,” from a video published on the “TikTok” network, early May 2024.

Theft of the railway and parts of the Haradara bridge for the high-speed train near the village of “Mosako” – Raju, by the militias of the “Ninth Division.”

Abdul Nasser Jalal Shallouh, leader of the “Ninth Division” militias, accompanied by Abdul Rahman Mustafa, head of the “Syrian Interim Government,” and Hassan Hamadeh, “Minister of Defense in the Interim Government.”

Ahmed Mabaky, one of the leaders of the “Ninth Division.”

The Kurdish citizen “Salah Hussein” and his wife.

The “Parse Khatoun” Yazidi forest and shrine before and after the occupation.

Aziz Aktan”s visit to the “Paradise Blossoms” nurseries, and a display board for young children with “weapons” and military attire, May 8, 2024.

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* Under the supervision of the European Organization of the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria (Yekîtî).

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You can download the full file by clicking here:

Afrin under occupation-287-11-05-2024-PDF

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