SDF militia carries out large-scale kidnapping campaigns for young people in Hasakah

HASAKAH, Jul.21, (ST)- The US-backed “Syrian Democratic Forces” militia kidnapped dozens of young men during a campaign of raids on a number of cities and villages in Hasakah governorate, and took them to the militia’s camps to recruit and push them into their ranks, amid a state of anger and rejection prevailing among the people who demanded to stop these violations against their children.

Local sources in the city of Hasakah stated that “armed groups affiliated to the SDF kidnapped a number of young men while they were passing through its checkpoints inside the city of al-Hasakah, specifically in the neighborhoods of Gweran and al-Nashwa, western and eastern, in order to recruit them and push them into the fighting fronts.” According to the sources, there are among the kidnapped persons as young as 15 years old.

The militia erected other roadblocks on public roads, tightened procedures by checking identity cards, and kidnapped every person aged 15 to 40 years.

In the city of Qamishli, the militia, according to civil sources, set up checkpoints along the main road in the city where the militia gunmen also stopped vehicles and passenger buses and kidnapped many young men.

In the eastern countryside of Qamishli, the militia raided a number of houses in the town of Ma’bad, in search of young men, and kidnapped a number of them. SDF also raided the cattle market in the town of Al-Yaroubiyah and kidnapped a number of young men while they were selling livestock.

The sources added that armed groups affiliated with the militia roamed the Al-Yaroubiyah market and the villages near the international road in search of young men passing by chance in those places.

Local sources from the town of Al-Qahtaniyah and its countryside also reported that militia checkpoints kidnapped a number of young men while they were on their way from Al-Qahtaniyah to the city of Qamishli. The people fear that the “Qasad” militia will plunge their sons into its battles, and they will be forced to fight a battle, not knowing how it will start and when it will end.

It is noteworthy that the kidnappings carried out by the “Qasad” militia against the people of the Syrian Al-Jazeera region are not new, despite the increase in their frequency during the past few days, which has sparked widespread anger and indignation among the citizens who took part in several demonstrations condemning the arbitrary practices of the militia.

NR