Accusing them of smuggling into regime-controlled areas | Manbij Military Council arrests some 20 members of “Self-Defense”

SOHR activists say that the Manbij Military Council forces arrested some 20 members of the “Self-Defense” of the Military Council, as they were involved in smuggling from the Manbij area in eastern Aleppo to regime-controlled areas.

On August 4, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored an increase in diesel smuggling operations to the “Peace Spring” areas, which are under the control of Turkish-backed factions, due to the large difference in fuel prices between the SDF-held areas and the areas held by Turkish-backed factions.

On July 14, SOHR sources reported that a civilian, working in smuggling oil, was killed by members of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) in Ain Issa in northern Al-Raqqah.

According to SOHR sources, an Asayish commander called “Akid” ordered his group to torture the smuggler for “not coordinating” with the group which protects smugglers, which led to his death. SOHR sources have confirmed that this incident is not the first one of its kind, as many smugglers were killed previously for the same reasons.

Several groups, including “Akid Al-Asayish”, make a career of protecting smuggling lines to areas under the control of Turkish-backed factions in return for getting a portion of the smuggled substances revenue.