SOHR reports illegal excavation by Turkey’s gangs in Afrin

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the Turkish-backed factions have bulldozed with heavy machinery and bulldozers the archaeological Burj Abd Al-Wu hill, in search of relics and buried treasures.

The hill is located near Burj Abdul-Wu village, south of Afrin. It is one of the archaeological hills registered under the Ministry of Culture and the Syrian Antiquities Directorate in the resolution of (244/A) in 1981.

“As Turkish-backed factions operating under the banner of “National Army” continue illegal excavations of antiquities in Afrin area northwest of Aleppo, reliable sources informed the Syrian Observatory on February 14 that Turkish-backed factions were bulldozing with heavy machinery the archaeological “Tel Laq” in Sharan district since Turkish forces and factions loyal to them took control of Afrin in 2018,” the observatory said.

“Acropolis hill” and its surrounding areas were also sabotaged and damaged, and forest trees and fruit-bearing trees were cut down with the aim of searching for relics and antiquities, SOHR added.