Ankara-Backed Militants Continue Detention of Civilians, Looting Historical Sites in Afrin

The Kurdish-language Hawar News quoted sources in the village of Simalka in Mobata region in Afrin as saying on Thursday that the terrorists affiliated to Ankara excavated the regions near historical monuments in Hasiyeh hill in the Western parts of the village with heavy vehicles to find artifacts. 

Also, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that over 2,680 civilians in Afrin have been detained by the Turkish army and affiliated militants, adding that they receive over 10mln Syrian lira for releasing the detained people.

Meantime, field sources in Afrin said that the local people are angry with the Turkish army and affiliated militants' measures in the region, adding that nearly 100 residents of the village of Marimin gathered near one of the military bases in the village and prevented the Turkish army's drilling operations to develop the base.

In a relevant development late last month, people in Northern Aleppo demanded the occupying Turkish forces to leave the region as tensions and insecurities had sorely increased in the region.

Hawar News reported that people in Northwestern Aleppo, specially Jarablus, al-Bab, A'azaz and Afrin regions, were growingly calling for the withdrawal of occupying forces.

The report said people were printing graffiti on walls and hold sporadic protest rallies to call for the Turkish army's retreat.

It added that the local people were furious with exacerbating security conditions resulting from increasing infighting among the Turkish army and their affiliated militants as well as their attempts to blackmail the civilians.

Meantime, the SOHR reported that the Ankara-affiliated militants fighting under the Euphrates Shield operations are dissatisfied with their low salaries paid by Turkey.

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