Ongoing violations | “National Army” factions continue illegal logging and selling properties of civilians in Afrin
Aleppo province: Members of Soqour Al-Sham faction cut down nearly 300 olive trees in Ali Jarrow village in Bulbul district in Afrin countryside, north-west of Aleppo. These olive trees are owned by a resident of the same village.
Moreover, members of the National Army cut down nearly 50 olive trees on the Aleppo-Afrin road. These olive trees are originally owned by a civilian from Badanli in Raju district of Afrin.
In a related context, Al-Sultan Murad Division faction continues to fell forest trees in Maidanki village between the villages of Halobiyah and Koblak of Sharan district on the bank of Maidanke lake in Afrin countryside in the plain sight of Turkish forces in the area, where forests on both banks of the lake are completely felled by these factions.
This comes in light of the ongoing felling of the forest trees by Turkish-backed factions in areas controlled by Turkish forces and their proxy factions by systematically removing vegetation cover and selling it as fire logs, for sums of money.
On August 28, SOHR activists reported that during the past few days Turkish-backed factions sold seven houses and shops by force of arms for amounts ranging from 1,500 USD to 2,500 USD per house. These houses and shops are owned by civilians from Raju and Maabatli districts and Afrin in northern countryside of Aleppo.
Meanwhile, nearly 155 olive trees were cut down by National Army members in Bulbul district in Afrin countryside, and 400 olive trees were seized by members Al-Sultan Murad faction in Kafrum village in Sharan district in Afrin countryside.
Furthermore, members of Ahrar Al-Sharqiyyah faction, which controls parts of Afrin city, imposed levies on construction operators of 1,000 and 3,000 USD, in exchange for allowing them to do their construction work in Afrin city.
This comes in light of the ongoing violations by Turkish-backed factions in Afrin against civilians and the seizure of their properties by force of arms, the imposition of levies, and the seizure of olive trees.