Turkish-backed Syrian militiamen destroying archaeological hill in Afrin: SOHR

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Turkish-backed Syrian “National Army” militia are actively afflicting damage on the "Qibar" archaeological site in the northwestern Syrian Kurdish enclave of Afrin, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Tuesday.

According to SOHR sources, factions within the “National Army” are using heavy diggers and earth moving machines on the hill, located just five kilometers from Afrin city.

SOHR noted that these factions began excavation work on Qibar in 2018 when they gradually started removing the hill “to loot artifacts and antiquities” inside.

“It is worth noting that the excavation work took place in full view of the Turkish forces,” SOHR reported.

The report also pointed out that Turkish-backed factions also excavated the archaeological hill of “Kashour” on numerous occasions.

Turkey and its militia proxies invaded Afrin in early 2018, seizing it from the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).

These militiamen looted Afrin city when it fell in March. They also destroyed a statue of the blacksmith Kawa, an important figure in the Kurdish tradition of Nowruz, that stood in the center of the Kurdish city.