The Turkish army and allied mercenaries continue committing human rights violations and destroying nature in occupied Afrin territory.

According to local sources, the occupation forces have cut down at least 300 trees in in the village of Qerqin in the Shera district. 

Before that, the occupation forces had burned down a 4 kilometer-long forest land on Mount Hawar. Thousands of olive trees were then cut down and sold as firewood to be used in winter.

According to Afrin Human Rights Organization, the occupation forces have cut down more than 200,000 olive trees in the Afrin region since it was invaded. According to the recorded data, 3 to 5 million trees were plundered by the invaders. While civilians have been targeted by brutal attacks, the history and environment are also destroyed in parallel.

Only 160 are left of the total 300 olive plants in Afrin after its occupation. The Turkish state held these plants to ransom, causing a significant decrease in the soap production in the canton. A 25 percent decrease has been recorded in the production of commercial products.

Afrin has been under the occupation of the Turkish state and its mercenary allies for two years now. The attacks of the Turkish state against Afrin began on 20 January 2018 and the invasion of the city was carried out on 18 March 2018. Since the invasion, war crimes have been systematically committed in the region. Almost every day, crimes such as the confiscation of property belonging to local people, kidnapping of civilians for ransom, torture or executions are carried out.

Other occupied regions in North-East Syria are experiencing a similar fate. The other areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration have been targeted by a new wave of attacks since early May. The attacks target the economy of the region and left at least 100,000 decares of grain field and 360 decares of olive grove burned to ashes.