In a grave violation falling within a broader pattern of serious abuses committed against Kurdish civilians in northern Syria, a Kurdish family from the city of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab) was abducted while attempting to leave the country for Lebanon as a preliminary step toward traveling to Europe. Their attempt to escape siege conditions and deteriorating living circumstances turned into a crime of kidnapping and financial extortion, reportedly accompanied—according to activists’ testimonies—by acts of torture and degrading treatment against family members, including minor children.
According to available information, the citizen Abdullah Habash, originally from the village of Aouini in the countryside of Kobani, was abducted along with his wife and their five children, including an infant no more than 20 days old, during their attempt to depart Syria for Lebanon.
The information indicates that the family left the city of Kobani on Thursday, the 12th of the current month, fleeing siege conditions and war, intending to reach Germany. After arriving in the city of Homs, they contacted an individual who claimed he could smuggle them into Lebanese territory via the Tal Kalakh area in the western countryside of Homs near the Lebanese border. It later became apparent that he was colluding with an armed group that took custody of the family and abducted them immediately upon their attempt to cross the border.
Sources reported that the abducting party contacted the victims’ relatives and demanded payment of a ransom estimated at approximately 35,000 US dollars in exchange for their release.
According to activists, the armed group sent video recordings to the relatives of the abducted family containing scenes of torture inflicted on the children, in addition to degrading practices against the mother. Although the content of these recordings could not be independently verified, consistent reports indicate that the family was subjected to cruel and inhuman treatment.
This incident occurs within a broader context of violations affecting Kurdish-majority areas in northern Syria, particularly the city of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab), which has been under a tightened siege for weeks imposed by factions affiliated with what is known as the “Syrian Interim Authority,” represented by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, concurrent with military operations and acts of looting and pillage targeting dozens of Kurdish villages in the city’s countryside following the forced displacement of their residents.
These developments form part of a wider military operation that began on 6 January 2026 with the targeting of the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo, before control over them was established on 10 January 2026. The operations subsequently expanded to areas east of the Euphrates, particularly in Raqqa and the northern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, and later extended to other Kurdish areas, including Kobani, al-Hasakah, and the countryside of al-Qamishli.
Activists believe that the siege conditions and humanitarian deterioration have compelled many families to resort to high-risk smuggling routes, rendering them vulnerable to crimes of human trafficking, kidnapping, and extortion.
The abduction of an entire civilian family, including infant children, while seeking escape from siege and armed conflict constitutes a grave indicator of the escalating dangers facing Kurdish civilians in northern Syria and calls for urgent action by the relevant local and international authorities.
Rights Monitor
