A Turkish-backed Syrian militia group has besieged the village of Kakhire near the Kurdish city of Afrin since Sunday, demanding that local residents sign documents potentially allowing the militia to seize their lands, local sources told Rudaw.

The Sulaiman Shah Brigade, a Turkish-backed militia operating in the region, has reportedly pressured villagers to sign documents stating that their lands belong to the Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria (Rojava). The documents could then be used by the group to justify taking control of the properties. Residents have also been told to pay a tax of $10 per olive tree on their lands, according to a local source who spoke to Rudaw on condition of anonymity.

Conflicting reports have emerged on the number of injuries caused during clashes between the militia and protesting villagers. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that eight people were injured, while local sources raised the toll to 15.

Tensions escalated when villagers staged a protest, refusing to sign the documents demanded by the militia. In response, members of the Sulaiman Shah Brigade opened fire to disperse the demonstrators.

The Sulaiman Shah Brigade, in a joint statement with another Turkish-backed militia, the Hamza Division, claimed that they had dispatched forces to Kakhire due to a conflict between an Arab and a Kurdish family. However, local sources refuted this explanation, asserting that the group’s presence is related to their attempt to seize control of the village.

Mustafa Shekho, a human rights activist, told Rudaw that the militia detained two men, Idris Haji Ali Ebo and Hasan Rashid Iso, and transferred them to the group’s military base after holding them in the village school. Civil society member Laman Khalil, speaking in a televised interview, revealed that the detainees were pressured to state that the conflict was simply a fight between two neighboring families, a claim locals believe to be fabricated.

Afrin, a predominantly Kurdish city, has been under Turkish control since a military operation in January 2018 displaced most of the Kurdish population. Turkish authorities have since resettled displaced Arab families from other parts of Syria in Kurdish homes.

The Sulaiman Shah Brigade has faced international scrutiny for its actions in Afrin. In August 2023, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on the militia for alleged human rights violations, including harassment, abduction, and forcing Kurdish residents to abandon their homes or pay ransoms for the return of their properties or family members.

The situation in Kakhire highlights ongoing tensions and abuses in Afrin, where Kurdish residents continue to face harassment under Turkish-backed militias.