Syria
Kurds welcoming Damascus-affiliated forces in Afrin with Kurdistan flag on February 7, 2025 (left) and four Kurds arrested by local forces next day (right). Graphic: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Four young Kurdish men were arrested in Afrin on Friday, a day after they raised the Kurdistan flag during a spontaneous reception for security forces affiliated with the new leadership in Damascus, according to a local human rights monitor.
“Members of the Military Police, affiliated with the [National] Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, arrested the four young men in Afrin for raising the Kurdistan flag during the arrival of the Syrian government's security forces,” said Human Rights Organization-Afrin.
One of the men has been identified as Mohammad Abdul Qader Ahmed from the district of Jindires in the Afrin countryside. The names of the others have not been published. The four were arrested in the early morning hours on Friday and taken to an undisclosed location, the organization said.
The Syrian interior ministry confirmed on Thursday the arrival of its forces in Afrin but did not specify the reason for the visit. Informed sources told Rudaw that the convoy’s visit was part of a tour of the region.
A number of Kurds in Afrin welcomed the visiting forces, raising the flags of Kurdistan and Syria to express their joy about the possibility that various armed factions could cede control of the area to the new government. For seven years, the militia groups have committed numerous violations against the Kurdish people in Afrin, drawing international condemnation.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment