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Repeated Arrests and Violations in Rural Afrin… Ongoing Provocations
Members of the "Public Security" affiliated with the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division, known as "Al-Omshat," arrested a man in his forties and his 13-year-old son on Monday evening in the village of "Anqala," part of Sheikh al-Hadid sub-district in rural Afrin, northwest of Aleppo. This occurred amid a night clash in the area between a family owning farmland and a group that stole olive harvests.
According to Syrian Observatory sources, members of "Al-Omshat" attempted to steal the olive crop and fired shots at the child, who was guarding his land. The child responded with a "hunting rifle," injuring one of the attackers lightly. A patrol from the public security then intervened and arrested all parties involved, including the child, his father, and the injured attacker.
Meanwhile, sources from the Observatory confirmed that a figure loyal to the "Interim Government" in areas controlled by factions loyal to Ankara posted a photo of the detained child on social media, falsely claiming he was armed with a "Kalashnikov" to justify his detention, although residents confirmed he used a "hunting rifle" for defense.
Incidents of violations and thefts occur almost daily in rural Afrin, amid the absence of accountability and clear collusion by security agencies with armed factions, deepening chaos and security breakdown in the region.
In a related development, the Syrian Observatory documented on September 22 that an armed group dressed in "public security" uniforms attacked the home of a man in his fifties and his wife in the village of "Jakli Jume," part of Jenderes district. They stormed the house, beat and tied up the woman, stole her gold jewelry, cash, and mobile devices, and issued direct threats.
These incidents reflect the ongoing pattern of assaults and abuse against residents, raising concerns about continued collusion between security agencies and armed factions. They also highlight the case of the murdered boy, "Ahmed Khaled Ma'mou," (16), who was shot dead by armed groups more than a year and a half ago, and whose family still receives ongoing threats to force them to relinquish their rights. The boy’s father appealed in a video for human rights and humanitarian organizations to intervene and protect his family from ongoing pressure.
