Groups affiliated with the Syrian transitional government looted the property and belongings of residents in the villages of Kobanê. The groups also damaged drinking water wells and electricity distribution centers and stole essential tools and equipment
- Wednesday, 11 March 2026, 14:32
Groups affiliated with the Syrian transitional government are looting and destroying local people’s property in the villages of Kobanê. Some images and photos of the destruction in the village of Bîr Nasir were published by ANHA, documenting the crimes committed by the groups before withdrawing from these villages.
The images reveal that the groups shut down drinking water wells, stole electrical cables and the water extraction dynamo, cut the electrical wiring of houses, and looted and destroyed the village’s barns.
According to witness accounts, extensive looting took place in the houses; doors and windows were stolen, and the house of a citizen named Heci Miso as well as the house belonging to the family of the martyr Bahoz were blown up.
According to reports, the violations were carried out before the groups withdrew from 74 villages in the south and east of Kobanê in accordance with the January 29 agreement.
After more than 400 families returned to Afrin in the first phase, preparations for the departure of the second convoy have accelerated. Around 200 families from villages around Afrin and the town of Rajo are expected to return in the coming days.
- Wednesday, 11 March 2026, 15:59
Afrin has reached an important turning point after years of forced displacement and occupation. The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have begun implementing the agreement signed with the Syrian Transitional Government on 29 January 2026 to ensure the safe return of displaced people. The safe and gradual return process of IDPs—one of the key provisions of the agreement—was put into practice with concrete steps on 9 March 2026.
Due to the occupation attacks by the Turkish state and its affiliated armed groups on Afrin in 2018, attacks against the Baath regime on 27 December 2024, and attacks carried out on 6 January 2026 by the Turkish state together with HTS and ISIS-linked groups, thousands of families were displaced from the regions of Afrin, Shehba, Raqqa, Tabqa, Manbij and Aleppo. Families who were displaced multiple times settled in areas under the Autonomous Administration such as Cizîrê and Kobanê.
Around 5,500 families are currently staying in the city of Qamishlo and its countryside, about 2,000 families in Dêrik and affiliated towns (Girkê Legê, Çilaxa and Rimelan), about 1,000 families in Hesekê, and around 500 families in Kobanê.
Within the framework of the agreement, the first convoy departed yesterday (9 March 2026). More than 400 families from the districts of Shiye, Jindires and Mabata in Afrin set out from Qamishlo and its countryside. Organized by the Afrin–Shehba Migrants Council, the convoy—consisting of 50 buses, 75 minibusses and private vehicles—gathered in Hesekê under heavy security measures and arrived in Afrin in the early hours of this morning (10 March). The public welcomed those returning with songs and drums in a festive atmosphere.
According to the Afrin and Shehba Council, preparations for the second convoy are ongoing. Within this framework, around 200 families are expected to return to villages around Afrin and to the town of Rajo.
Speaking to ANF, Afrin and Shehba Women’s Council spokesperson Sewsen Ehmed stated that the first return had been completed and said:
“As the people’s council, we prepared to return to Afrin. In the first phase, we created a plan for our people, organized them and met the necessary needs for their return. Yesterday, on 9 March, the first convoy of 400 families returned. In this process we are especially focusing on the displaced people in Qamishlo, because the largest number of IDPs are there and they are distributed across more than 120 schools.”
Stating that preparations for the second convoy are continuing, Sewsen Ehmed said: “We are now preparing for the second return. This time it will include around 200 families from the town of Rajo and the surrounding villages. We are counting our people and meeting their remaining needs so they can also return home.”
Emphasizing that displaced people from Afrin have endured great hardships for years, Sewsen Ehmed said that the return represents a major source of hope for the people. Sharing her own experience, she said: “I am also an IDP from Afrin. I still carry the keys to my house and car in Afrin. It may seem like a small thing, but it gave me great hope that one day I would return.”
Ehmed also stated that this year Newroz will be celebrated in Afrin, saying: “March 8 is the day of women’s struggle. This year we added another date to history: March 9, the day of return to Afrin. From now on, this day will be a special day every year.”
Highlighting the people’s longing for their homeland, Sewsen Ehmed cited a child returning to Afrin with his family as saying, “I have never seen Afrin, but my family told me about its beauty; now I will go and see it myself.”
The return of 200 families that were scheduled to return to Afrin on 12 March has been postponed. No explanation has been given regarding the reason for the delay.
- Wednesday, 11 March 2026, 21:58
The return of the second group, which the Afrin–Shehba Displaced Persons Council had previously announced would return to Afrin on 12 March, has been postponed. The group included 200 families who were supposed to return to the Rajo district and the center of Afrin.
No official statement has been made regarding why the return of the families was postponed.
The first group of forcibly displaced Afrin families had set out from Hasakah on 9 March and reached Afrin on 10 March. It was reported that the first group, consisting of 400 families from the Afrin districts of Mabata, Jindires, and Shiye, arrived safely at their homes.
