A statement issued by the Human Rights Organization in Afrin indicated that the Turkish army evacuated its base in the village of Basila/Basilahya in the Afrin countryside on Monday, July 13, 2026. This led to the return of more than 50 Kurdish families from the village to their homes to assess the condition of their village and houses after eight years of forced displacement.
The statement clarified that the current situation reveals the extent of the destruction and devastation that has befallen the village, where houses have become uninhabitable and turned into rubble, while infrastructure and services are completely nonexistent. This situation has prompted appeals from the villagers to humanitarian and rights organizations and relevant authorities to intervene and provide them with basic services and restore their homes.
In a related context, fires broke out in the village of Darwish, which is under the control of Turkish forces and their affiliated factions, leading to columns of smoke rising from within the village, which is devoid of its original inhabitants.
The statement emphasized that field facts and eyewitness testimonies indicate that Turkish forces are burning houses and surrounding trees, while the fate of household furniture, the villagers’ belongings, and water pumps—considered the lifeline of the village—remains unknown, amid strong fears of organized theft and looting before setting fires.
The statement confirmed that the attached photo, taken on Saturday, July 11, shows thick columns of smoke rising from the hill and residential area of the village situated on the mountainous elevation, reinforcing reports about the burning of properties.
Note: This text is translated from the original Arabic version… Read the Arabic version:Click here
