Secretary of the Political Committee in the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Abdulbasit Abdullatif, has condemned the resumption of a disturbing trend by the PYD terrorist militia. He stated that the militia has once again adopted its systematic approach to starving the population, this time by deliberately targeting and setting crops ablaze.
Abdullatif stressed that such actions constitute egregious war crimes against the Syrian people. The recent fires have ravaged 3,200 dunums of agricultural land (320 hectares) in northern Syria over the past 48 hours.
In a press statement, Abdullatif explained that the deliberate destruction of agricultural crops by the PYD terrorist militia aims to deprive the population of their primary source of sustenance, exacerbating their suffering and threatening their livelihoods.
Abdullatif underscored that this reprehensible act has become an annual occurrence, perpetuated without intervention from supporters of the militia. He emphasized the urgent need to prioritize efforts to prevent such atrocities from recurring.
According to reports from Syria TV, the fires in northeastern Syria have engulfed over 3,200 dunums of wheat and barley crops. In the Tal Abyad area of the northern countryside of Raqqa alone, approximately 3,000 dunums of crops were consumed by the flames. The fires encroached upon residential areas before being brought under control.
Syria TV further reported that the fires were ignited by the PYD terrorist militia, using explosive bullets to target agricultural lands. They also targeted fire trucks attempting to extinguish the flames with mortar shells and machine guns.
In the Mabrouka area northwest of Hasakah, 70 dunums of agricultural land were damaged by the fires. Local sources suspect deliberate arson as the cause. Additionally, a fire in agricultural lands in the town of Tal al-Baidar in the western countryside of Hasakah destroyed 50 dunums of wheat and barley crops on Saturday evening.
Syria, particularly its northwestern and northeastern regions, witnesses a recurring wave of fires annually before the harvest season. These fires, primarily targeting lands cultivated with wheat and barley, result in significant losses for farmers and deprive the region of crucial food supplies.
These incidents are often attributed to actors such as regime forces, which systematically target all means of livelihood in northwestern Syria, and the PYD terrorist militia, which has recently targeted thousands of dunams in liberated areas of the countryside of Raqqa and Hasakah.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
