afrinpost-Exclusive
The “Suqour al-Shamal” militia kidnapped citizen “Samir Ibrahim Mekdad,” aged 53 and a resident of Aleppo, on January 10. This occurred after his arrival at the Bab al-Salama border crossing between Syria and Turkey, following his deportation by Turkish authorities to northern Syria. He was taken to an undisclosed location.
According to North Press, Turkish authorities forcibly deported more than 18,000 Syrians to Syrian territories in December 2023.
Meanwhile, Turkish-affiliated militias are abducting deportees as soon as they set foot on the Syrian side after crossing the Bab al-Salama crossing in the occupied Azaz countryside, extorting them financially. On January 7, the “Al-Jabha al-Shamiya” militia kidnapped three young deportees, demanding a ransom from their families for their release.
