Reports of YPG deporting thousands from their villages

A former member of Tal Abyad’s municipal council in Raqqah, who is also an opponent of the Syrian regime, accused the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) of “deporting thousands of Arab and Turkmen Syrians” from villages located in the vicinity of Tal Abyad as they advanced into the city that was captured from Islamic State (ISIS).

Ahmed Al-Haj Saleh told Anadolu Agency in a phone interview that the violations started on the June 13 when the YPG carried out a full deportation of the residents of Zohla. Zohla is located 14 km to the south of Tal Abyad.

Saleh, who is also a member in a committee documenting violations committed by the Kurdish units, said that when committee communicated with YPG leaders, the leaders vowed to refrain from repeating such violations.

“But while we were expecting an end to the violations, we were surprised by the entry of YPG members into the village of Qurah Sharaf, the deportation of its 1000 residents and the theft of homes’ contents,” he said.

“On the same day, the Kurdish units notified the residents of Madlaj, Tiba and Jahjah that they should evacuate their homes and move to the areas controlled by Daesh in Al-Raqqah, threatening them with arrest if they fail to obey the orders,” Saleh said.