ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A militia group in the northwestern Syrian city of Afrin is demanding money from a Kurdish family to return their house, which the group has turned into a military base.
Faysal Habash and his family left Afrin in 2018 when the city was controlled by militia groups with the help of Turkey. He returned to the city six months ago with the hope of residing in his house but found out that Faylaq al-Sham militia group had turned it into a bastion.
The paramilitary group has officially been integrated into the new Syrian security apparatus following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime nearly a year ago. However, its dominance over Afrin remains and the group reportedly continues violations against Kurds.
The militia group has made alterations to the house and is demanding money from the family as compensation before returning the property.
“I returned five to six months ago… I do not have a house or bathroom. They say they want money in return for what they had spent on the house,” Habash told Rudaw on Monday, adding that despite filing complaints with the local government, they have been unable to return the house.
The family is currently living in a shop near the house, while their empty house remains locked.