Conflicting reports surfaced about what happened in the village of Kakhrah (Yakhour), affiliated with the Maabtali district in Afrin countryside. Some spoke of killings and attacks on civilians by the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division, known as “al-Amshat,” while others mentioned a dispute between residents that a military faction intervened to resolve.
Activists and local networks reported on September 15th the killing of Ms. Nazila Tola and the injury of others following an attack by the al-Amshat faction on a protest against the taxes (levies) imposed by the faction on olive trees.
According to the activists, the village was besieged after the attack, but later a video was posted on social media denying the narrative of Ms. Tola’s killing.
Conflicting narratives
Mohamed al-Dugheim, the general administrator of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division, told Enab Baladi that what happened was a dispute between two families “one of the Kurdish brothers and a family of displaced persons. The faction resolved the conflict between them, and there is no remaining obstacle.”
Al-Dugheim added that the so-called “malicious media” tried to exaggerate matters and create instability.
He denied that the faction imposed any taxes on the residents, in response to Enab Baladi‘s question about the news of the attack on residents due to taxes.
Mohammed al-Jassem (nicknamed Abu Amsha), the leader of the al-Amshat faction, and Saif Abu Bakr, the leader of the al-Hamza faction (al-Hamzat), visited Kakhrah village after the incident, according to photos spread on social media platforms.
Azad Osman, a member of the Independent Kurdish Association residing in Afrin, rejected the al-Amshat faction’s narrative about a quarrel between residents.
Osman added that this narrative, adopted by the military police, contradicts the truth. He called for forming an independent committee from the Syrian National Coalition, the Syrian Interim Government, and some independent figures from the Free Lawyers Syndicate to investigate “these violations.”
Osman confirmed to Enab Baladi the existence of unlawful practices against the residents, including detention, torture, and excessive levies on their properties and olive trees.
The Independent Kurdish Association condemned the attack on September 15th on a women’s demonstration demanding respect for the legal agencies of their children, most of which are certified by the Attorney General in Afrin.
A legal agency is an agency granted by landowners in Afrin to persons acting on their behalf (relatives or friends present in Afrin).
The agency requires certified ownership papers from the government’s departments or its embassies to verify the ownership of the land, and it is then granted by the Afrin Court either in writing or via a direct video call in front of the judge.
Condemnation statements
The National Coalition issued a statement on September 16th condemning what happened in Kakhrah village, stating that it is following up on what happened in the village to “get to the truth of the unfortunate events.”
The Coalition rejected “any form of violations of the rights and dignity of people in Syria,” adding that it is following the incident through the competent authorities.
The Syrian Islamic Council stated on September 17th that the acts of oppression against residents in some areas of Afrin, including “oppression and beating of women by some factions, stealing money under the guise of taxes on olive trees or taking a percentage of the oil, or occupying homes, are all forms of forbidden oppression.”
The council called on those responsible for protecting the area to secure their regions from “sinful aggressors and to protect all segments of society, especially the weak, from oppression and aggression.”
In a statement on Monday, the Kurdish National Council commented on the Afrin incident by saying that the al-Amshat faction kidnapped individuals from Kakhrah village and demanded ransom for their release.
When women from the village protested in front of the faction’s headquarters, they were shot at, and the village was subsequently besieged, cutting off all means of communication, resulting in many women being injured.
The Kurdish National Council added that the factions of the Syrian National Army controlling Afrin impose levies on residents, including eight dollars on each olive tree.
The Kurdish National Council and the Syrian National Army are components of the Syrian National Coalition.
The al-Amshat faction is considered one of the largest factions in the National Army, possessing a large amount of military equipment, including armored vehicles and effective weapons, according to intersecting information obtained by Enab Baladi from those knowledgeable about the faction’s affairs.
The al-Amshat faction controls various aspects of the town of Sheikh al-Hadid in Afrin countryside. According to intersecting information obtained by Enab Baladi, the faction’s security forces have committed numerous violations.