Enab Baladi – Ras al-Ain

A wave of thefts targeting livestock, agricultural equipment, and solar energy systems in the rural areas of Ras al-Ain has pushed residents to organize night patrols and set up checkpoints at the entrances of villages to protect their possessions.

With the recurrence of incidents and the targeting of their sources of livelihood, residents have started relying on their own efforts to confront thefts, amidst calls for enhancing security and implementing stricter measures.

Thefts of livestock and agricultural equipment

Farhan al-Farid (55 years old) from the village of Hamid in eastern Ras al-Ain experienced the theft of his sheep after he finished feeding them at night and returned home, confident that he had securely locked the barn.

The following morning, he discovered the door broken and that 12 out of 20 sheep had been stolen, with no trace leading to the thieves.

Al-Farid began searching the village and asking through WhatsApp groups in hopes of finding any clue that might lead him to the thieves, but he found nothing.

He told Enab Baladi that the sheep were an essential part of his daily life and his main source of income, noting that their loss caused him a “severe” financial setback.

In the village of Manajir, south of Ras al-Ain, a solar energy system was stolen from Kamal Ezzedine (45 years old), which he had bought four months ago to irrigate his agricultural land.

Ezzedine searched the surrounding areas hoping to find any trace that could help him recover the system, valued at 60 million Syrian pounds.

After a period of searching, he discovered that the system had been transported to Tal Abyad and sold in parts at local shops for less than half its price.

He mentioned that the theft of the system left him unable to continue planting his land, forcing him to revert to using diesel at high costs.

According to Enab Baladi‘s correspondent, the rural areas of Ras al-Ain witnessed 24 theft incidents from the beginning of December 2024 until January 15, affecting mostly livestock, agricultural equipment, and solar energy systems.

Community initiatives by youth in the villages

According to Enab Baladi‘s monitoring, people in most of the rural areas of Ras al-Ain, which consists of 300 villages, relied on their own efforts to reduce thefts, stop threats to their livelihoods, and even avoid abduction incidents.

On January 13, armed men kidnapped Mohammed Ali and his son from the village of Hamid in eastern Ras al-Ain along with their vehicle after impersonating security personnel, then left them in western Ras al-Ain and stole the vehicle.

Ali Salama from the village of Alouk in eastern Ras al-Ain stated to Enab Baladi that the village residents had formed night patrols comprising the village youth to confront the recurring thefts and kidnapping incidents for ransom purposes in the area.

He added that residents felt insecure due to the absence of civil and military police stations that should protect their properties.

He noted that the military presence in the area is limited to points for the Syrian National Army (SNA), but they are not able to adequately secure the large villages.

He called for the necessity of enhancing security in the villages by deploying civil and military police forces to protect residents from thefts and kidnapping incidents.

Security campaign to pursue wanted individuals

According to Enab Baladi’s correspondent, following the fall of the Syrian regime on December 8, 2024, many personnel from military and security institutions left Ras al-Ain for their own cities, leading to a rise in theft incidents and destabilization of security in the city.

On January 18, a security campaign was launched by the Military Police in cooperation with factions of the National Army in Ras al-Ain and its countryside to pursue wanted individuals and criminals.

A responsible source in the Syrian National Army (not authorized to speak to the media) stated to Enab Baladi that the security campaign targeted offenders and criminals.

He explained that the campaign resulted in the arrest of 81 individuals with previous convictions and those involved in crimes in Ras al-Ain.

He added that the campaign covered all rural areas of Ras al-Ain, where the villages were thoroughly combed, leading to the arrest of 18 individuals accused of theft and human smuggling to Turkey.

He noted that security institutions continue to pursue wanted individuals and are working continuously to enhance security to ensure the protection of residents and improve the security situation in the area.

Ras al-Ain is located near the Turkish border and is controlled by the National Army, surrounded by fronts of combat with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and the Turkish border is its only outlet to the outside world.

The city of Ras al-Ain has repeatedly recorded clashes between factions affiliated with the National Army or among tribal factions in the area.

Residents of Ras al-Ain, northwest of al-Hasakah, refer to their tribal and clan authorities to resolve disputes and issues that arise among them, rather than resorting to the courts in the city, which has a population of about 115,000, due to the absence of legal systems and the state, and the vacuum of authority capable of implementing the law.