afrinpost – Exclusive
Our correspondent in Afrin reports an ongoing onslaught by Ankara-backed militias on the agricultural lands of Afrin, where indiscriminate tree cutting is carried out with the sole purpose of trafficking timber. Over the past week alone, approximately 115 olive trees fell victim to this destructive activity in the occupied Afrin countryside.
In a specific incident on December 31, armed members of the “Malekshah” militia ruthlessly cut down 50 olive trees. These trees, the property of brothers “Mohammed and Sami Hasan,” were situated in the Sharan district of Afrin.
Further instances of this assault occurred on December 29, 2023, where 45 olive trees owned by “Ibrahim Ahmed” and 20 olive trees owned by “Asaad Ali” from the village of Korkan in the Mobata district were partially cut down along the Jindires-Afrin road.
Adding to the gravity of the situation, media activist “Ahmad Al-Barhou” shared a video on January 1, depicting the partial cutting of around 70 olive trees. These trees belonged to residents of the villages of Kafrdale Tahtani, Korkan, and Khazyan in the Mobata district. Notably, the cut trees were located mere meters away from the checkpoint of the “Al-Hamza Division” militia. When the affected owners sought to file a complaint, officials callously refused, asserting that they do not intervene in matters related to olive trees and that their duty is confined to checkpoint duties. Remarkably, the age of the cut olive trees is estimated to be no less than 50 years.
This distressing scenario comes on the heels of a documented incident on December 30, 2023, where unidentified gunmen partially cut 20 olive trees near the Al-Qaws checkpoint at the entrance to Afrin. The affected trees belonged to “Ahmad Hamo” from the village of Qarah Taba, currently residing in the occupied city of Afrin.
