No accountability | Felling trees and taking over civilians’ houses continues in Afrin
Aleppo province: SOHR activists have reported that Al-Hamza Division, led by “Abu Al-Waleed Al-Bakari”, has sold nine apartments in Tarnada village in Afrin countryside for 7,000 U.S dollars. The apartments belonged to three civilians from “Qastil Kashk” village in Shiran district.
Moreover, a gunman from western Aleppo countryside sold a house in Al-Ashrafiyah neighbourhoods n Afrin city for 900 U.S dollars to a civilian from Al-Ghouta Al-Sharqiyah. The house belonged to a civilian from “Simalkah” in Ma’batly district in Afrin countryide.
On the same context, members of Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyah faction forcefully took over a land in Qarzihal village in Afrin countryside, although the land owner issued several complaints for the Military Police against Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyah.
Regarding violations against Afrin displaced civilians, the “National Army” factions felled over 150 olive trees in Ain Dara village in Afrin countryside and Khalil village in Naho district, to sell them as heating logs for financial profits.
The National Army factions continue committing crimes and violations against Afrin displaced civilians and their properties, as after they looted olive corps for the last few months, these factions started felling olive trees on a larger scale becoming a new profession by the factions to generate more money, not to mention the royalties imposed and trading by civilians’ houses and properties.
On January 24, Reliable sources informed SOHR that the “National Army” factions chopped more than 150 trees in Tal Taweel and Ain Darah villages in Afrin countryside that are owned by families from Afrin who were forcibly deported and sent them to Afrin to sell it as firewood.
In Arandah village in Sheikh Hadeed district, a commander in “Jabaha Al-Shamiyah” who is known by his initials as (Y. H.) seized dozens of pieces of agricultural land that were owned by forcibly deported people and he also confiscated some slots of land of inhabitants in the village on pretext charges of dealing with the former Autonomous Administration by using proxy contacts for thousands of dollars US.
The sources added that (Y. H.) also looted a mill in Ma’batly district after severely beating its owner when he rejected to pay the levies.
Meanwhile a commander in Al-Hamzah Division faction who is known by his initials as (H. B.) imposed levies by force, in Ma’ratah village in Afrin countryside, on the cars crossing into areas under the faction’s control. The value of the levies vary from 25 TL to 50 TL based on type of car and its cargo.