“Olive Branch” areas in April 2022 | 55 kidnappings and arbitrary arrests…nearly 54 human rights violations…ongoing efforts to change demography of the region with Turkish support

Since Turkish forces and their proxy factions captured several areas in north-western Aleppo, namely Afrin canton, after a military operation known as “Olive Branch”, humanitarian crises have been emerging and worsening gradually, with violations, attacks and explosions occurring almost daily. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has monitored and tracked prominent developments and gross violations in these areas in May 2022, which can be summarised in the following main points:

 

 

Acts of violence leave scores of fatalities

 

In May, SOHR documented the death of ten people in areas under the control of Turkish forces and factions operating under the banner of “Olive Branch” operation room in the north-western countryside of Aleppo. A breakdown of fatalities is as follows:

 

-Two civilians:

 

• A civilian was killed in the explosion of an unknown object, while he was playing with it in his house in Al-Zaydiyah neighbourhood in Afrin city.

 

• A young man from Al-Hayb tribe was killed when members of Suqur Al-Shamal stationed at a checkpoint in Qazal Bash village in Bulbul district opened fire on the car which was carrying the victim and another young man.

 

-Six combatants:

 

• Three members of Al-Hamza Division were killed in an infiltration operation by Afrin Liberation Forces into the division’s posts on the frontline of Kimar village in eastern Afrin.

 

• A member of Suqur Al-Sham was killed in clashes with Al-Hayb tribe in Qazal Bash village in Bulbul district in Afrin countryside.

 

• A member of “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah” was killed in violent clashes with Kurdish forces on the frontline of Anab village in Shirawa district.

 

• A member of Al-Majd Corps was killed in unknown circumstances in Mamili village in Raju district. It is worth noting that marks of torture were found on his body.

 

• Unidentified young man was shot dead in Afrin, in the northern countryside of Aleppo, where he was found dead with marks of torture on his body.

 

-Two Turkish soldiers were killed in attacks by Kurdish forces in north-western Aleppo.

 

 

Explosions and infightings

 

“Olive Branch” area witnessed two explosion in May 2022, with the first taking place on May 16 when an unknown object exploded in a house in Al-Zaydiyah neighbourhood in Afrin city. The explosion killed a civilian and injured his wife and daughter seriously.

 

While the second explosion took place on May 28 when a booby-trapped motorcycle parked near headquarters of Turkish forces on the road to Jendires, near Faysal Qaddour school in Afrin, exploded and injured three persons, including a policeman.

 

This area which is under the control of Turkish forces and their proxy factions in north Aleppo countryside also witnessed three infightings in May. Here are further details:

 

• May 2: Violent clashes with RPGs and heavy machineguns erupted between “Suqur Al-Shamal” faction and members of Al-Hayb tribe in Qazal Bash village in Bulbul district, after members of Suqur Al-Shamal stationed at a checkpoint in the village had opened fire on a car, killing a young man from Al-Hayb tribe and injuring another young man escorting him for not stopping at the checkpoint. The clashes left two members of Suqur Al-Shamal dead.

 

• May 2: Three militiamen of the “National Army” were injured in clashes with medium and light weapons between “Jaysh Al-Sharqiyah” faction and militiamen of “Nour Al-Din Al-Zenki” faction in the centre of Jendires district in Afrin countryside. According to SOHR sources, the violent clashes expanded to Yalanqouz village neighbouring Jendires district, amid heavy gunfire in residential neighbourhoods, which ignited a state of panic among civilians, especially with the crowded streets on the first day of Eid Al-Fitr.

 

• May 6: Clashes with medium and light weapons erupted between Al-Hamza Division and Tha-Eroon Le Al-Tahrir (Uprising for Liberation Movement) in Tel Hamu village in Jendires district, after a robbery in a currency exchange shop by militiamen affiliated with Al-Hamza Division. The clashes resulted in the closure of the road between Jendires district and Afrin city for a while.

 

 

Ongoing heinous crimes and violations

 

As Turkish-backed factions continue their blatant violations on a daily basis against the residents who have chosen to stay in their areas over displacement and against people displaced to Afrin canton, SOHR has documented 55 kidnappings and arbitrary arrests of civilians, including a woman, by Turkish-backed factions in May. 17 people were released after paying ransoms.

 

Furthermore, SOHR has documented over 54 other violations distributed as follows:

 

• Four incidents of selling displaced people’s houses which had been forcibly seized earlier by Turkish-backed factions. The houses were sold at low prices and in US dollars in particular.

 

• One incident of seizure of shops and another of seizure of farmlands by members and commanders of Turkish-backed factions.

 

• 17 incidents of imposition of levies on civilians by factions and military police: 15 incidents were of levies imposed in return for the release of detainees, an incident of imposing a levy by “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah” on contractors and an incident of imposing a levy by “Nour Al-Din Al-Zenki” faction on a civilian instead of evacuating his house.

 

• 18 incidents of felling fruit-bearing trees by factions of Turkish-backed “National Army,” where over 485 olive trees were cut down in several areas in villages and districts of Afrin.

 

• Ten assaults by various factions of the “National Army” against civilians for different reasons.

 

• Three incidents of evacuation and sabotage of archaeological hills.

 

 

Demographic change in Afrin

 

As a part of the ongoing efforts to change the demography of Afrin city and construct settlements, the Kuwaiti association of the “White Hands” accomplished the construction of a residential compound near Kafr Safra village in Jendires district in Afrin countryside, north-west of Aleppo. This settlement consists of 250 houses with complete infrastructure, a school, a mosque and shops. The settlement was built at the foot of Jabal “Hajj Muhammad” after forest trees were cut down, while displaced people from Damascus were settled there.

 

Moreover, Turkish-backed factions continued to sabotage Syria’s historical heritage through excavation work and digging in archaeological hills and sites, searching for buried artefacts and antiques. On May 3, SOHR activists monitored excavation work and digging in several archaeological hills and sites, including Tel Jubana and Bishiraq site. In addition, SOHR activists reported sabotage of “Zindkana” archaeological site which is located near the villages of Sindianke and Maskat Tahtani in Jendires district in Afrin countryside.

 

The archaeological hill, which is not registered at the Syrian Ministry of Culture and General Administration of Antiques and Syrian museums, was systematically destroyed by the National Army factions. As a result of inexperienced excavation work by the factions, many of the pottery vessels at the archaeological site were destroyed and much of the agricultural land surrounding the site was damaged.

 

It seems that violations in “Olive Branch” areas will not stop as long as Turkish forces and their proxies keep breaching all international laws and charters, while no party or international or regional player is exhibiting any willingness to put an end to these “grave” violations, despite SOHR’s repeated warnings about the dreadful humanitarian situation in the region.