Settler sets house on fire in Afrin

A settler burned down a house he had been living in since 2018 in Afrin. The property belongs to one of the city’s original residents, coinciding with the return of the fourth batch of displaced families to the area.

9 May, 2026 17:56

A fire broke out in a house occupied by a settler in the city of Afrin, as the fourth group of displaced residents returned to the city. The group includes around 1,000 families who returned today to their original areas after years of displacement.

Local sources said the settler, who belongs to a family affiliated with Turkish occupation-backed factions integrated into the Ministry of Defense of the Syrian Interim Government, set fire on Friday to the house located on the Mazot Highway, where he had been living since 2018.

Several neighbors reported seeing the settler leaving the area with his family shortly after setting the house ablaze.

According to available information, the settler originally comes from the countryside of Hasakah.

Meanwhile, hundreds of homes in Afrin remain occupied by displaced settlers, some of whom continue to refuse to vacate and return the properties to their original owners, despite growing demands from residents for the restoration of property rights and an end to the seizure of homes.

The incident has once again brought attention to violations involving the property of Afrin residents, amid accusations that acts of vandalism and theft are being carried out against homes before they are vacated, further increasing the challenges facing residents returning to the city.

ANHA