In the Afrin region in northern Syria, a young woman has been abducted by members of a Turkish-backed militia. The incident was reported by the Human Rights Organization Afrin-Syria, which regularly documents attacks in the areas occupied by Turkey.
According to the organization, the abduction took place on December 30, 2025, in the village of Derwish, which belongs to the district of Shera in the northern outskirts of Afrin. Armed men, described by the organization as “in the pay of Turkey,” stormed the village and abducted 23-year-old Heybet Emîn Silêman. Her whereabouts are currently unknown.
The organization sees this case as yet another example of the ongoing insecurity and lawlessness in the areas of northern Syria occupied by Turkey and its allied jihadist militias. Kidnappings, looting, extortion, and other human rights violations are commonplace in the region.
Afrin occupied since 2018
Until 2018, Afrin was part of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. In the course of a war of aggression cynically named “Operation Olive Branch,” the once safest region in all of Syria was occupied by Turkey and Islamist factions under Ankara’s command. Since then, there have been endless reports of human rights violations and crimes against humanity, especially against the Kurdish civilian population.