ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkey-backed fighters and imported Arabs in Afrin, northern Syria recently cut the olive trees of Kurdish farmers, a local source told Rudaw on Monday.
A source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Rudaw on Monday that a number of fighters from the Turkish-backed al-Hamza Division (al-Hamzat) in Afrin and many Arabs who have been imported to the city recently cut the olive trees and other trees of Kurdish farmers in Kurzel village.
The source also sent Rudaw several photographs purportedly showing the trees which have been cut by these fighters and Arabs, adding that hundreds of trees of more than 20 farmers have been cut in a month.
After the farmers filed a complaint against the perpetrators, local forces briefly arrested them, according to the source.
Afrin is a Kurdish city which was invaded by Turkey and its Syrian mercenaries after they launched a military operation against Kurdish fighters in January 2018. Since then, the members of the pro-Turkey groups have been accused of violating the rights of Kurds as well as cutting olive trees of Kurdish farmers.
Human rights groups and the United Nations have published reports detailing arbitrary arrests, detention and pillaging, among other violations.
Hussein Naso, an activist from Kurzel village, told Rudaw that a 85-year-old Kurdish farmer, Mustafa Jaafar, cut 100 trees in his farm to prevent Arab settlers and mercenaries from cutting and stealing them.
The activist added that it hurts the farmers to cut their trees but they do not have another option.
