U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have prevented displaced people from returning to their homes in the rural areas of Raqqa following the expulsion of the Islamic State fighters from their villages and towns.
Speaking to Ammar Johmani, a local source said that some of the residents of the village of Hamrat tried to return to their homes but they were intercepted by the SDF, whose backbone is formed by the Kurdish People's Protection Units militia. The forces confiscated the returning residents’ cars and some of their motorcycles.
The source added that the militia fired at returned residents to get them out of their homes.
Abu Ahmad, who was forced to migrate to al-Hasakah, said that he fled from al-Raqqah with his family after the fighting reached the environs of al-Mashlab neighborhood last week. The family went to stay with their relatives in Ras al-Ain. Last week as they waited to return to their home after the Syrian Democratic Forces took control of the neighborhood, they received news that their house had been robbed.
Abu Ahmad (50) sees that he and his family are lucky because they had relatives in the area who acted as guarantors and took the family from al-Mabrouka camp to stay in Ras al-Ain. He is saddened over the loss of his possessions and his displacement from his house. With news of the SDF allowing residents to return, Abu Ahmad grows more restless for his return.
Speaking to Ammar Johmani about the SDF allowing residents to return to the villages of al-Hamrat, al-Salhabiya, and Mazraat Badr, Abu Ahmad’s words mixed pain over what he has lost with hope of his close return. Residents in these areas all left following confrontations with the Islamic State forces and air raids in recent months.
Despite the news he hears about residents returning to their homes, Abu Ahmad fears that he will return to find the furniture from his house for sale in the Sunday or Thursday market near the Kantari area on the al-Raqqa -- al-Hasaka, which is used by SDF members to present their spoils from the homes of residents of al-Karameh district in al-Raqqah’s eastern countryside.
“The market was originally a cattle (sheep) market, but the population in the area and even the displaced people who migrated to this area, are currently dependent on it for their vegetables and some of their needs. The militia members take advantage of this to display the stolen goods,” a local source explained.
According to the source, the militia members display people’s belongings and sell them at the lowest prices. Giving an example, the source explained that a generator which is worth 100,000 Syrian Pounds (SP) at least was sold for 25,000 SP. Most of what the militia members put up for sale are electrical goods.
SDF allowed the residents of Western Sahlabiyeh to return to their homes, which they found looted and vandalized during their displacement, according to “al-Raqqah is being slaughtered silently” campaign.
Local activists also reported that the SDF forces began a mine clearance campaign in the town of Hamrat to prepare for families to return to their homes. Ten families have already returned to the town despite the obstacles facing the process due to a child being killed by one of the SDF fighters in the al-Hamrat camp close to the town last Saturday. The child’s father and one other person were injured in the incident.
It is noteworthy that the militias led by the Democratic Union Party allowed the return of the people of Joyce and Abu Dallah villages in February 2017, and the return of the residents of al-Hishah, al-Taweelah, Saida, al-Hadriyat, al-Shibil, Laqta, and al-Hurriyet in November 2016 after they took control of these areas as part of the Euphrates Wrath campaign against the Islamic State Forces. The Campaign has been ongoing since November 06, 2016.
