Security restrictions on Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafiyeh escalate, including children's school bags

The Transitional Government Forces continue to close two main roads and prevent fuel from entering the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods in Aleppo city. These restrictions have included searching children's school bags at checkpoints.

On October 6th, the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods witnessed a series of incidents, beginning with roadblocks by the Syrian Transitional Government, followed by an attack and attempted storming of the neighborhoods, which were confronted by the residents and the Internal Security Forces. This was followed by a meeting between a delegation from the Democratic Autonomous Administration and the Transitional Government, which resulted in an agreement on a ceasefire and the opening of roads.

The Jazira crossing and Ashrafiyeh uphill roads remain closed, along with the ongoing closure of the Deir Hafer-Aleppo road.

A private source from the General Council of the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods confirmed to ANHA agency that preventing fuel from entering the two neighborhoods will create numerous crises in the near future, as the neighborhoods have almost completely lost the fuel needed to operate the generators that supply electricity to the neighborhoods.

A citizen, who preferred to remain anonymous for security reasons, revealed that while walking along with his 7-year-old son (a second-grade student) through the stairs crossing between the Ashrafiyeh and al-Suryan neighborhoods, he was subjected to numerous harassments.

The citizen indicated that the harassment began with checkpoint personnel searching him in front of his son, then connecting his mobile phone to the internet and inspecting it, invading all privacy, and inquiring about conversations and names.

He said, "I have some relatives and friends living in Qamishlo and Kobane, and I attached their names to their areas of residence. After the checkpoint personnel reviewed these names, their tone changed to more contemptuous and accusing. They accused me of being a soldier and said that if this was proven, they would kill me, and I replied that I was a civilian and was accompanying my son to buy some school supplies."

The citizen reported that the checkpoint personnel grabbed his son's school bag and emptied its contents onto the ground under the pretext of conducting a search. This led to an altercation between the civilians present and the checkpoint personnel, which ended with the citizen being released without being detained.

Media correspondents also monitored the continued harassment of civilians at al-Awared checkpoint.

According to informed sources, the personnel carrying out these attacks and violations around the two neighborhoods belong to the so-called 60th, 72nd, and 76th Divisions, affiliated with the Ministry of Defense of the Syrian Transitional Government.

J.J

ANHA