Armed Faction Violations in Afrin Target Three Civilians

ANF

Afrin city.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has reported three separate incidents of abuse during July in the Rajo district of Afrin countryside, Kurdish majority city located north of Aleppo, within areas controlled by Syrian National Army factions. 

In each case, civilians were physically assaulted and robbed by members of the security apparatus, with authorities reportedly failing to respond to victims’ complaints.

According to a statement by the SOHR, the first incident occurred on the evening of Thursday, 25 July 2025, when an armed group stopped a young man from the village of Jaqmaq Kabir as he was en route to guard his farmland. The assailants shot him between the legs, physically assaulted him, and stole his motorcycle, hunting rifle, mobile phone, and a sum of money.

The second incident took place on the evening of Tuesday, 22 July 2025. A man in his forties, accompanied by his child, was violently attacked near the junction at Altaniya village after closing his shop. Masked individuals wearing General Security uniforms stopped and abducted him, transporting him to a wooded area. He was blindfolded, tied up, and beaten, having been accused of insulting the state. The perpetrators also stole his bicycle, mobile phone, and money.

In a third incident, on 10 July 2025, a farmer in his forties from the village of Atman was assaulted and robbed near the Batman Spring. He was stopped by three masked men dressed in General Security uniforms, similarly accused of insulting the state. He was subsequently beaten and robbed. His formal complaint has yet to receive any response.

The SOHR has reiterated its urgent call for a transparent and impartial investigation into these violations, the prosecution of those responsible, and enhanced measures to ensure the safety and protection of civilians in areas under the control of National Army factions.



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