“Olive Branch” areas in 2022 | Nearly 1,500 human rights violations…44 explosions and factional infightings…151 fatalities in acts of violence

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 occur almost daily. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has monitored and tracked prominent developments and gross violations in these areas in 2022, which can be summarised in the following main points:

 

 

Acts of violence leaves scores of fatalities

 

In 2022, SOHR has documented the death of 151 people in areas under the control of Turkish forces and factions operating under the banner of “Olive Branch” operations room in the north-western countryside of Aleppo. A breakdown of fatalities is as follows:

 

-47 civilians, including 16 children and eight women:

 

• 13 civilians, including six children and two women, were murdered.

 

• Seven civilians, including two children, were killed in indiscriminate gunfire.

 

• 11 civilians, including a woman and six children, were killed in attacks with rockets and artillery shells fired from areas where Kurdish and regime forces are deployed.

 

• 12 civilians, including five women and three children, were killed in gunfire by Turkish-backed factions.

 

• Four civilians, including two children, were killed in explosions.

 

-98 combatants:

 

• 62 killed in factional infightings.

 

• 23 killed by Kurdish and regime forces.

 

• Eight killed by unknown people.

 

• Three killed in Russian airstrikes.

 

• Two killed in explosions.

 

-Three Turkish soldiers were killed by Kurdish forces.

 

-Two ISIS commanders were killed in an attack with a Coalition drone on their motorcycle in Khaltan village in Jendires district.

 

-A suicide bomber blew himself up in a military post of Jaysh Al-Islam near Kawa roundabout in Afrin city.

 

Here is a monthly breakdown of fatalities in “Olive Branch” area in 2022:

 

• January: 13 people: nine civilians, including five children, three combatants and a suicide bomber.

 

• February: Eight people: four civilians, including a woman, and four combatants.

 

• March: No fatalities were documented.

 

• April: Seven people: three civilians and four combatants.

 

• May: Ten people: two civilians, six combatants and two Turkish soldiers.

 

• June: 16 combatants.

 

• July: Ten people: six civilians, including two children and a woman, two combatants and two ISIS members.

 

• August: Six people: three civilians, including a child and a woman, and three combatants.

 

• September: Seven people: five civilians, including two children and a woman, one combatants and one Turkish soldier.

 

• October: 60 people: nine civilians, including three children and four women, and 51 combatants.

 

• November: Four people: three civilians, including two children, and one combatant.

 

• December: Ten people: three civilians, including two children, and seven combatants.

 

 

Infightings and explosions

 

“Olive Branch” areas in Aleppo countryside witnessed 30 tribal, factional and family infightings and armed attacks in 2022, which left 73 fatalities: 11 civilians, including five women and three children, and 62 combatants. In addition, tens other people sustained various injuries.

 

The monthly death toll of these infightings is distributed as follows:

 

• January: 1

 

• February: 3

 

• March: No infightings were documented.

 

• April: 8

 

• May: 3

 

• June: 4

 

• July: 1

 

• August: 5

 

• September: No infightings were documented.

 

• October: 4

 

• November: No infightings were documented.

 

• December: 1

 

Also, in 2022, 14 explosions occurred in “Olive Branch” areas, all caused by detonating IEDs, landmines and booby-trapped vehicles, which killed seven people: four civilians, including two children, two combatants and a suicide bomber who blew himself up in a military post in Afrin city. Here is a monthly distribution of these explosions:

 

• January: 2

 

• February: 3

 

• March: No explosions were documented.

 

• April: 1

 

• May: 2

 

• June: 1

 

• July: 1

 

• August: 2

 

• September: 1

 

• October: No explosions were documented.

 

• November: 1

 

• December: No explosions were documented.

 

 

Arbitrary arrests and kidnaps

 

Beside the explosions and infightings which badly impacted the daily activity of civilians and triggered public anger, SOHR activities documented, in 2022, the arbitrary arrest of over 583 people, including two children and 15 women, as well as the kidnapping of 94 other, including two children and six women. Here is a monthly breakdown of arbitrary arrests and kidnaps in “Olive Branch” area in 2022:

 

 

-January:

 

• Arrests: 45 people, including a child and two women.

 

• Kidnaps: two people, including a child.

 

-February:

 

• Arrests: 49 people, including a child and four women.

 

• Kidnaps: 21 people.

 

-March:

 

• Arrests: 58 people, including three women.

 

• Kidnaps: 22 people, including four women.

 

-April:

 

• Arrests: 28 people, including a woman.

 

• Kidnaps: two people.

 

-May:

 

• Arrests: 51 people.

 

• Kidnaps: four people.

 

-June:

 

• Arrests: 61 people.

 

• Kidnaps: ten people.

 

-July:

 

• Arrests: 64 people, including two women.

 

• Kidnaps: four people, including a woman.

 

-August:

 

• Arrests: 91 people, including three women.

 

• Kidnaps: one person.

 

-September:

 

• Arrests: 41 people.

 

• Kidnaps: 22 people, including a child and a woman.

 

-October:

 

• Arrests: 36 people.

 

• Kidnaps: three people.

 

-November:

 

• Arrests: 19 people.

 

• Kidnaps: two people.

 

-December:

 

• Arrests: 40 people.

 

• Kidnaps: one person.

 

Moreover, SOHR has documented over 792 other violations in 2022, which are distributed as follows:

 

• 168 incidents of seizure of houses, shops, cars and farmlands by members and commanders of Turkish-backed factions in Afrin city and affiliated districts. The seized properties belonged to people who have been forced to displace from Afrin canton due to the “Olive Branch” operation.

 

• 195 incidents of felling fruit-bearing trees, including over 11,675 olive trees in different villages and districts in Afrin.

 

• 138 incidents of imposition of levies on civilians by the factions, police, military court and local councils.

 

• 97 thefts of civilian properties, mostly committed by Turkish-backed militiamen.

 

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

 

• 60 assaults by members of factions operating under the banner of the “National Army.”

 

• 33 incidents of excavation and digging work and sabotage in archaeological hills and sites.

 

The monthly distribution of these violations is as follows:

 

• January: 132

 

• February: 76

 

• March: 75

 

• April: 55

 

• May: 54

 

• June: 47

 

• July: 48

 

• August: 44

 

• September: 43

 

• October: 85

 

• November: 69

 

• December: 64

 

 

Protests and demographic change

 

The so-called “Olive Branch” area has witnessed a dreadful humanitarian situation, deteriorating services and dire living conditions, which triggered public anger. In 2022, SOHR documented tens of protests and demonstrations staged by the residents who called for improvement of living conditions, stopping violations and factional infightings, controlling security situation and putting an end to the escalating security chaos. On many other occasions, the region’s residents protested corruption practiced by local councils and Turkish-backed factions and violations committed by Turkish energy companies operating in that region.

 

As a part of ongoing efforts to change the demography of Afrin city and surrounding villages and construct new settlements, the Kuwaiti association of the “White Hands” announced, on March 29, the start of the second stage of the settlement dubbed “Basma Village”. During the second stage, eight residential blocks with 125 flats planned to be established, as well as starting construction of new six other units. This settlement was established on a plot of land of an estimated 10,000 square metres, after having been seized from the real owner, a civilian known by his initials as Z. H. from Shadirah.

 

While in April, Sultan Murad faction, led by a militiaman known by his initials as A. A., accomplished the construction of a residential compound for displaced people from Homs near Kafrum village in Sharan district. The number of houses of the compound approximates 360, with an estimated area of 120 square metres per unit. The compound also includes a school, a mosque and shops. According to Syrian Observatory activists, the settlement was built on the foot of a hill which had been planted with forest trees. These trees were completely cut down and sold as fire logs. Furthermore, “National Army” factions continued preparations for the construction of other settlements in Aghjilah village in Jendires district and Umar village in Sharan district. In this context, the factions of the National Army started leveling agricultural land owned by civilians who had been forced to displace from Afrin.

 

Also, in May, 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.

 

While in September, a Palestinian charity called “Wafaa Al-Mohsenin” completed the first phase of the construction of “residential compounds” to house displaced persons in Afrin whose inhabitants were displaced during “Olive Branch” operation which was carried out by Turkish forces and their proxy factions.

 

These “residential compounds” are located near Kafr Safrah, in Jendires district, in Afrin countryside, north-west of Aleppo.

 

According to SOHR activists, the Palestinian association handed over 34 housing units to displaced Syrian and Palestinian people after the completion of the first phase. Each residential unit consists of two rooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

 

Those residential compounds contain 250 houses with full services, a school, a mosque, and shops. According to SOHR sources, these residential compounds were built at the foot of “Hajj Muhammad” mountain after forest trees were felled and several displaced people from Damascus were settled. Meanwhile, the construction is continuing under the second phase. In the second phase of construction, 80 residential units are planned to be constructed with the support by Omani individuals.

 

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 repeated warnings about the dreadful humanitarian situation in the region.