afrinpost – Exclusive
On September 12th, members of a joint checkpoint between the militias of “Ferqa Al-Hamza/Al-Hamzat” and “Suleiman Shah/Al-Amshat,” opened fire on a wedding procession coming from the city of Azaz to the village of Maryamin in the Shara/Sharan sub-district in the occupied Afrin region. This incident occurred due to the groom’s family refusing to pay a toll fee at the checkpoint.
The armed elements attacked both men and women with physical violence and abusive language. They justified their actions by claiming that the groom’s family had fired shots in celebration of their son’s wedding. This altercation resulted in injuries to two young men and various degrees of bruising to others.
The armed individuals did not stop at the assault; they also prevented the injured from passing through the checkpoint and receiving medical attention at Afrin hospitals.
A reliable source from Maryamin village informed afrinpost that the militias of “Al-Amshat and Al-Hamzat” falsely accused the groom’s family of firing shots in celebration when the real reason behind the assault was the refusal to pay the toll fee at the checkpoint. Moreover, the source revealed that these militias prohibit locals from going to their fields for farming or allowing shepherds to tend to their livestock without paying toll fees at their checkpoints. They also impose tolls on anyone firing shots during weddings.
