SOHR: DESTRUCTION OF ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES CONTINUES IN AFRIN

 

Syria’s ancient archeological heritage continues to suffer destruction at the hands of Turkish-backed factions in the country as smuggling of artifacts carries on in Afrin, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Monday (January 10).

The Syrian National Army (SNA), also known as the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army, a coalition of opposition groups mainly present in Turkish-occupied areas of Syria, have continued to bulldoze al-Sheikh Abdul Rahman hill in Afrin district, according to the war monitor.

The SOHR says historic artifacts from the archeological mound are smuggled out of Syria in full view of Turkish forces.

Tal Aqrab, another archeological site in Afrin, suffered digging from heavy machinery in a search for artifacts, sources from the observatory stated, adding dozens of other mounds were damaged.

The site of Tal Ain Dara was badly damaged in Turkish air strikes during Operation Olive Branch in 2018, when the Turkish military and the SNA carried out a cross-border military operation against the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).

According to some estimates, 60 percent of an ancient temple on the site was reduced to rubble and a famous basalt statue of a lion was stolen from the Tal Ain Dara, Syrian News Agency (SANA) reported in 2019.

 

 

SOURCE: NRT Digital Media