When Baqi Hemo and his friends attempted to leave their village Dimilye in Afrin’s Rajo district, they were captured and tortured by militiamen loyal to the Turkish state. The young men told the ANHA news agency that the population is being abused by the Turkish military and militias.

According to Baqi Heme, they were forced to leave Afrin due to the heavy attacks of the Turkish army and militias. He tells of his escape: "We went to Jabal al-Ahram in the district of Shęrawa. There was a fight between the Turkish military, its gangs and fighters of the YPG/YPJ. Three friends and I were captured by the gangs. They tortured us. They tortured us in every way ... After three days they took one of us. We do not know what happened to him. When we asked, they intimidated us, saying they killed him."

Hemo and his friends were able to take advantage of a battle on the fourth day and successfully flee to the canton of Shehba.