Organized looting of civilians in Afrin countryside amid security vacuum

Several locals in the village of Sheh told ANHA agency that systematic looting operations are being carried out by a group of masked individuals.

These armed robberies have been concentrated on the road between Sheh and Sanara village, known locally as the "Sheh Valley road."

Since yesterday, Sunday, dozens of vehicles have been stopped, and civilians have had their money and mobile phones stolen.

Residents say that despite filing numerous complaints with the security posts in the city, the authorities have failed to act.

These incidents come at a time when the interim government’s authorities keep making daily claims about the possibility of IDPs returning, even announcing that two groups of IDP families have already come back to their homes.

However, the city of Afrin and its countryside remain outside the control of their original inhabitants since the 2018 offensive, which triggered massive displacement affecting thousands of families. To this day, many of the IDPs have not been able to return to their homes and properties, as other families continue to occupy them — including IDPs brought from different parts of Syria, as well as families linked to Turkish-backed mercenaries in the region, who have recently joined formations tied to Syria’s interim government.

Testimonies suggest that when some of the original residents try to return, the controlling authorities refuse to vacate the properties or hand them back, raising fears that a new demographic reality is being cemented — further complicating the return of the IDPs and the restoration of their rights.