afrinpost-Exclusive
Armed militants belonging to the “Hamza Division” militia brutally assaulted a traffic policeman in (Al-Siyasiya) Street in the heart of occupied Afrin city yesterday, March 18. The altercation arose when the officer requested a street vendor affiliated with the “Hamza Division” militia to clear the way for passing vehicles.
According to our correspondent, the traffic officer, hailing from the Douma area, asked the itinerant vendor to allow cars to pass due to his obstruction of traffic. However, the vendor responded by hurling insults at the policeman and refusing to clear the road. Subsequently, around ten armed militants from the “Hamza Division,” led by one Ahmad Adnan Al-Badawi from the Nahla town in rural Idlib, launched a ferocious attack on the officer, beating him severely.
Our correspondent added that the “Hamza Division” attempted to evade responsibility by claiming that the individual Ahmad Adnan Al-Badawi was a civilian unrelated to their ranks. They asserted that they apprehended him to hold him accountable. Additionally, they threatened the traffic policeman and requested him to disseminate an audio recording falsely claiming that the “Hamza Division” had no involvement in the incident.
It’s worth noting that Afrin city witnessed a military mobilization of IDPs from the Andan town to avenge the assault on the traffic officer.
This incident marks the second attack on a traffic officer in March. On the 9th of March, militants led by Jihad Ubaid from the “‘Asifat Al-Shamal” militia assaulted and verbally abused a traffic policeman from the Andan city in northern Aleppo. The officer attempted to stop them after they ran a traffic signal, resulting in severe bruises and injuries.
