Continuing violations in Afrin: Looting, arrests and tragic conditions for the displaced

Organized looting and lack of security in the village of Bouzika in the countryside of Afrin

On the evening of Sunday, August 31, 2025, the village of Bouzika in Jinderes sub-district in the countryside of Afrin witnessed a raid and search campaign carried out by “masked thieves, mostly settlers and shepherds,” according to the report of the Afrin-Syria Human Rights Organization. The report explained that these gunmen, who “assumed the status of public security”, stormed the homes of Kurdish citizens under the pretext of searching for wanted persons, but they looted “gold, jewelry, dollars, and some home furniture” after taking the people out of their homes.

The report pointed out that “the General Security in Afrin” shirked responsibility, stressing that the armed elements are “unknown and not affiliated with the Ministry of Interior,” and that they “cannot intervene” because these people follow the factions of the “Turkish-backed Syrian National Army.” The report attributed the continuation of these violations to the “Turkish green light” and the rivalry between the factions over the “theft of civilian property and the struggle to control it”, in light of the “lack of security and safety” in the city and its countryside.

Toll of August 2025 violations in Afrin: Arrests, killings and burning of forests

In its monthly report for August 2025, the Afrin-Syria Human Rights Organization recorded the outcome of the violations committed by the factions of the “Turkish-backed Syrian National Army” and the settlers loyal to it. According to the report, violations included:
– Kidnapping and arrest:“Arrest and kidnapping of 5 citizens, including a young minor.”
– Murder and death:“The killing of a girl by her brother out of the motive of washing shame,” “the killing of a young man from the Amirat clan in the countryside of Damascus under mysterious circumstances,” and”the death of the displaced Afrinis by drowning in the Tabqa Dam.”
– Assault and Injury:“Attacking 6 citizens, one of them is from Tal Arran, by thieves and two bandits, with live bullets being fired at some of them,” and”injuring a child in the town of Basuta with a stray bullet” during the training of the National Army factions.
– Transfer of detainees:“Between 600 and 700 Kurdish detainees and prisoners were transferred from Afrin prisons to Al-Rai and Hour Kilis prisons in the northern countryside of Aleppo,” under the supervision of “Turkish Intelligence and the Sultan Murad Division.”
– Forest burning:“Burning forests in the mountain of the mountain village/J, the fire spread to the mountain of Hikkah in Rajo district.”
– Uyghur Settlement:“The resettlement of 3 Uyghur families in the homes of the forcibly displaced Kurds in the village of Mariskeh in Sharan sub-district,” with the “shooting of the people” who demanded the evacuation of their homes, under the control of the “Hamzat Division.”

The report stressed that these violations reflect the “suffering and tragedies of Kurdish citizens” in light of the continued control of the factions and settlers.

Tragic conditions for the displaced people of Afrin in northern and eastern Syria
“Thousands of displaced people from Afrin” in the north and east of Syria suffer from “tragic and difficult living conditions,” according to the report of the Afrin-Syria Human Rights Organization. The report explained that IDPs face a lack of “adequate shelter, clean drinking water, food, health care, and education,” with camps overcrowded and lacking “basic infrastructure.” The situation is also exacerbated by “natural disasters such as rain, snow and floods,” in addition to “water scarcity and high temperatures in summer.”

According to the report, the parents appealed to “international and local stakeholders” to intervene quickly to improve their conditions, especially for the age groups of “the elderly, women and children.” They also called on “international bodies to put pressure on the Syrian Transitional Government” to facilitate their return to their homes, “provide guarantees not to harm them,” and”return their property and remove militants and settlers from their homes.”

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