With the invaders entering, looting and pillaging has taken hold in Afrin, while the same forces have banned entry to the city. Turkish soldiers and their collaborator gangs hold the entrances and exits of the city and are barring civilians from entering.

Reports say young people who coulndn’t leave Afrin or who wish to come back are forced to choose between two inhumane options, prison and joining the FSA. Many young men are being held on these grounds.

In images the gang members post on social media, blindfolded civilians with their hands tied behind their backs can be seen. These young men detained by Turkish forces are threatened with prison in Azaz or Turkey because they refuse to join the gangs.

The bans, detentions and threats in the city are considered to be geared towards changing the demographic makeup of the city. The Turkish regime has repeatedly stated that they want to settle the refugees in Turkey in Kurdish lands. European Union funds are also being used to this end.

As looting continues in the city, hundreds of thousands of citizens have sought refuge in places around Afrin to avoid violence. The civilians in the Shehba desert live under harsh conditions.