Theft and vandalism | HTS steals infrastructure in Idlib province, dismantling transformer and electrical wires from M4 road near Ariha

Idlib governorate Syrian Observatory for Human Rights:

Reliable sources have informed the Syrian Observatory that workshops, including workers accompanied by HTS’ security members dismantled a transformer and electrical wires from the Aleppo – Latakia highway within the section passing through the outskirts of Ariha city in Idlib countryside.

According to Syrian Observatory sources, the transformer and electrical wires were dismantled under the supervision of the official of the HTS’ Electricity Directorate, and then were transferred to the HTS’ warehouses in the city of Idlib in order to extract copper of it and sell them to scrap dealers.

On January 2, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored workshops belonging to HTS dismantling industrial equipment and the metal cladding of industrial facilities in the area near frontlines with regime forces on the Saraqeb-Idlib road.

Meanwhile, members of HTS also stole the equipment of a poultry located in the village of Ma’arat Ma’alaya, west of Saraqeb, and concrete saws in the same area.

HTS had dismantled the zinc sheets of the industrial facilities near frontlines in order to sell them as scrap metal in Idlib markets, preventing civilians from approaching these areas for being a military zone and targeted by regime forces.