Arabic to English Translation*
As further confirmation of the ongoing occupation of Afrin by Turkey, the fortified security checkpoint at the junction of “Kokan” village in Mobato/Maabatli district remains in place, directly supervised by Turkish intelligence. The Turkish officer stationed there personally conducts inspections at times—especially on Fridays, when civilian visits are more frequent—by searching vehicles, checking passengers’ ID cards, and interrogating some of them. In addition, there continue to be cases of Kurdish civilians detained by the General Security forces at the request of Turkish intelligence. One such case occurred on 8 August 2025, when a patrol—heavily armed and composed of several vehicles—attempted to arrest citizen “Nesrin Mohammed Allo” in the town of Badino, Rajo district. She managed to escape shortly before the patrol’s arrival. Nesrin had been visiting her ill father after more than seven years of forced displacement.
The following are facts about the current situation:
= Injury of a Child:
On Friday, 22 August 2025, in the town of Basouta – Afrin, the child “Aram Mohammad Shahin /8/ years old” was injured by a stray bullet and was subsequently transferred to a hospital in the city for medical treatment. The incident occurred during training exercises conducted in a camp on the outskirts of the town by one of the formations of the so-called “New Syrian Army,” composed largely of remnants of the former “Hamzat Division.”
It is noteworthy that several militias such as “Hamzat, Amshat, and Ahrar al-Sharqiya,” among others, continue to maintain military camps within the Afrin region and carry out regular training activities, most of them in close proximity to residential areas. These groups were formally incorporated into the Ministry of Defense under the Transitional Authority in Damascus.
= Arbitrary Arrests:
On 19 August 2025, the General Security apparatus arbitrarily arrested the young man “Hussein Kamal Sheikho /25/ years old, ” a resident of the village of “Mosako”– Rajo, while he was at his workplace in the industrial zone of Afrin city. The arrest was carried out without providing any explanation. This occurred only two days after his return from Turkey, where he had been working for an extended period. His fate remains unknown.
= In the Village of “Ma‘arskeh”:
The village, consisting of approximately /80/ houses and belonging to the Sharra/ Sharran subdistrict, currently hosts /15/ families of newcomers who are delaying their return to their original areas. Notably, three Uyghur families were recently settled ten days ago in homes previously occupied by citizens “lawyer Bashir Haj Youssef, Wafiq Tubal Hamo, and Farouq Tubal Hamo, “which had been taken over by Arab families since 2018. The original owners reside in Aleppo city and are hesitant to return due to the lack of a secure environment, particularly as the village headman is obliged to report any returning families to the security office linked to Turkish intelligence.
Additionally, upon leaving the village, one of the newcomer families stole all contents from the home of “Hamo Tubal Hamo, “which had been occupied since 2018, including doors and windows.
At the end of last month, at night, four masked armed men kidnapped citizen “Mahmoud Khalil son of Mohammad Rashid /42/ years old” along with his wife while they were sleeping in an agricultural field near a water well and photovoltaic equipment. They were bound and beaten; the assailants took them to their home in the village, stole money and other belongings, and then fled.
On another night, the same group raided the home of citizen “Aref Haji Youssef /45/ years old, “blindfolded him, bound him, and beat him. They then abducted him to an unknown location, releasing him after four days upon payment of a ransom.
The victims have not disclosed further details of the incidents, nor have they filed complaints with local authorities due to fear of further attacks. The village falls under the influence of the “Joint Force militias (Amshat, Hamzat), “and the General Security apparatus has not intervened to investigate, apprehend the perpetrators, or redress the grievances.
= In the Town of “Kafr safreh”:
Belonging to the Jenderes subdistrict, within less than a month, armed thieves raided several homes at night while the residents were asleep. They instilled terror, insulted, bound, and beat the men, and stole household items, money, gold jewelry, and mobile phones before fleeing. The local authorities did not intervene or conduct serious investigations. The targeted homes included those of “Hassan Haj Abdo son of Murad, Mohammad Haj Abdo son of Abdo, Mohammad Amin Hassan, the late Zeinab Murad Haj Abdo, Zeinab Mohammad Hussein Agha, and Khaled Hamo / Addu family. “
Separately, on 21/8/2025, the mayor of Kafra Safreh informed water tank operators and well owners in the town that they were prohibited from operating their wells, claiming that it affected the flow of water from the “Al-Dawla” well at the top of the town. This well does not even meet the full needs of residents, who must supplement it with private wells for irrigating olive tree nurseries. The restrictions will force them to obtain water from distant wells, incurring additional costs.
= Forest Fires:
On the evening of Thursday, 21/8/2025, a fire broke out in a natural forest north of the village of “Darwish“– Rajo, which has been abandoned by its residents due to the establishment of a Turkish military base there since spring 2018. The fire continued into the following day, consuming a large area before being extinguished.
= Other Violations:
Recently, in the town of Badino – Rajo, “Absi Al-Hamad, “the former security officer of the “112th Brigade” militia, prevented citizen “Ahmad Khalil Atu“ from operating a shop belonging to one of his displaced relatives, “Rashid Ezzat Ali, “on the pretext that the latter was affiliated with the former Autonomous Administration. He placed a seizure notice on the shop and also on the home of displaced citizen “Shukri Mustafa Jafar“ for the same reason.
As long as Turkish occupation and the remnants of its militias persist in Afrin, and the Kurdish issue in Syria remains unresolved fairly by the transitional authority in Damascus, any measures implemented by the latter will remain partial and incomplete. This affects not only security but also daily life, and most forcibly displaced residents since the 2018 aggression will be unable to return to their homes.
23.08.2025
Media Office-Afrin
Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria
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Images:
– The injured child: “Aram Muhammad Shahin.”
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* Under the supervision of the European Organization of the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria (Yekîtî).
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