Militias in Afrin attack peaceful women's protest, injuring locals

The protesters were opposing the militia's imposition of heavy tributes on the village’s residents.

This is a locator map for Syria with its capital, Damascus. (Photo: AP)
This is a locator map for Syria with its capital, Damascus. (Photo: AP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The “Sultan Suleiman Shah Division,” also known as the "al-Amshat" militia, led by Mohammed Al-Jassim (Abu Amsha), surrounded the village of Kakhra in Afrin’s Maabatli district, western Kurdistan (Syria), on Tuesday, violently dispersing a women's protest.

The protesters were opposing the militia's imposition of heavy tributes on the village’s residents.

Armed members of the al-Amshat militia attacked the peaceful demonstration with sticks, batons, and live bullets, injuring approximately 20 villagers, including women, children, and the elderly.

Those injured include: Zamzam Suleiman Alama (60), Hanan (40), Najah Jabou (45), Khalil Abdo Hasso (10), Muhammad Mustafa Hamoudi Mukhtar (31), Hassan Rashid Hanan (52), Faeq Mustafa (80), Mustafa Rashid Hanan (9), Muhammad Mustafa Mustafa (15), Khaled Hamarsho (45), Hanifa Khalil Abbou (80), Jihan Aiso Muhammad Aiso (40), Najah Muhammad Alloush (35).

The photo shows injuries on civilian protestors. (Photo: Kurdistan24)

 

The al-Amshat militia also prevented the wounded from being transferred to Afrin or nearby towns for medical treatment.

Additionally, they raided the home of former village mukhtar, Faeq Mustafa, causing significant property damage.

The protest followed the detention of two villagers, Hassan Rashid Imo (48) and Idris Ali Abbou (45), who had visited the militia’s headquarters to voice their objections to the newly imposed tribute. Both were later released that night.

The villagers of Kakhra rejected the exorbitant tribute levied by the militia: $8 for every olive tree, whether bearing fruit or not, owned by absentee citizens but managed by their relatives.

The tribute imposed on each family totals thousands of dollars, an unmanageable amount due to low olive production and economic hardships. Additionally, last month, the militia reportedly stole $17,000 from 170 Kurdish families still residing in the village.

In July and August, al-Amshat imposed similar levies on Kurdish residents across the Shih/Sheikh al-Hadid district, the town of Maabatli, and several surrounding villages under its control, collecting nearly $800,000. During the last olive season, they extracted an additional $27 million.

The Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria (PYDKS) reported that the village remains under tight militia control, with some military police cooperating with al-Amshat.

The village mukhtar has since returned, urging residents to pay the imposed tribute. Locals remain fearful, with many staying indoors as the situation remains tense.