Unknown assailants attack residents, steal livestock in Afrin countryside

The Human Rights Organization of Afrin – Syria said that two Kurdish young men were assaulted by unidentified armed men in the village of Sheikhoutka, affiliated with Mabata district in the Afrin countryside, while they were guarding livestock on Wednesday evening, 8 July 2026.

The organization said that the attackers beat the two young men, tied their hands and legs with metal wires, and stole the money and mobile phones they had in their possession. They also seized between 30 and 40 livestock animals, which were transported in two pickup trucks to an unknown location.

It added that the attackers threatened the livestock herders with weapons before one of them, a 12-year-old minor, managed to free himself from his restraints and release his companion, after which he headed to the village to inform his family members about the incident.

The organization noted that the families of those affected filed a complaint, on Thursday, with the General Security forces affiliated with the Interim Government in Mabata district. However, no updates regarding the case have been announced so far.

It is worth mentioning that the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic issued a report on Thursday, which stated in one of its sections that the security situation in Afrin had improved compared with previous periods.

The Commission also encouraged the Interim Government to intensify measures to facilitate the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of all internally displaced persons (IDPs), including nearly 1,000 displaced families from other areas who are currently living in Afrin, while ensuring full respect for property rights.