afrinpost– Exclusive
On February 27, 2023, Mustafa Bilal, a 63-year-old Kurdish civilian, was shot by two armed militants belonging to the Turkish-affiliated “Ahrar Al-Sharqiyah” militia in the Rajo sub-district of Afrin. Our sources indicate that the attack occurred after the militants were confronted by Bilal for cutting down trees. The militants allegedly used Kalashnikov rifles to carry out the attack.
According to reports, Mustafa Bilal received a phone call from a friend informing him that armed militants from the Ahrar Al-Sharqiyah militia were cutting down olive trees in a field between the villages of Jaqalma and Jubana in the Rajo countryside. Bilal rushed to the site and caught the militants in the act of cutting down trees, which he documented by taking photos with his phone.
“The militants demanded that Bilal delete the footage he had captured. When he refused, one of the militants brought a Kalashnikov rifle and fired directly at his car as he attempted to flee. Fortunately, the bullets missed Bilal and he was able to escape unharmed.” the sources said.
Bilal is a resident of the village of Sheikh Bila in the Rajo sub-district, and he was appointed as the elected leader of the local council of Rajo.
Sources indicate that the militants were cutting down the olive trees with the intention of trading the wood for the benefit of “Abu Taloub,” the economic official of the Ahrar Al-Sharqiyah militia in the area. Abu Taloub is known for cutting off roads and has been accused of carrying out several armed robbery and theft operations in the area between the village of Kura and the junction of the village of Qasim of Rajo sub-district.
