On October 17, two women from the village of Birîmce in Afrin’s Mabata district were abducted by the troops of the Turkish occupation regime. The 28- and 33-year-old Kurdish women were taken to an unknown location. Just a week ago, 32-year-old pregnant Nemat Bahjat Sheikho bled to death after suffering torture at the headquarters of the Turkish intelligence service. The aftermath of her husband, who had been abducted with her, remains unknown.

The Turkish state, with a soldiery of jihadists and right-wing extremists, established a regime of terror over Afrin which they occupied in March 2018. Kidnappings, looting, ransomware, and displacement have been the order of the day ever since. In the past two months alone, more than 300 abductions have been recorded in Afrin, and 25 of those abducted were women. At least six civilians were killed.

For the period between July 29 and August 23, the Afrin Human Rights Organization registered 101 abductions. 17 of the abductees were women. In addition, three minors were among those abducted. Often the abductees are taken to torture chambers run by mercenaries or the MIT and released after paying ransoms. However, abductees are repeatedly tortured to death and their bodies dumped in fields or other places. This creates a climate of terror and drives the Kurdish population away.