Deir Ezzor – Obadah al-Sheikh
Residents in eastern Deir Ezzor have complained about violations committed by members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which include theft and robbery at checkpoints and makeshift patrols, creating a state of fear and insecurity in the area.
Through these operations, the forces confiscate personal belongings and money without any legal justification in the town of Abu Hammam in eastern Deir Ezzor, as reported by a correspondent for Enab Baladi at the al-Sanour checkpoint in the same town.
Residents from Abu Hammam, who spoke to Enab Baladi, said that the night patrols and checkpoints of the SDF specifically target passersby, exploiting the darkness to commit their abuses. These violations include the confiscation of motorcycles, mobile phones, and amounts of money held by citizens.
When one of the affected individuals was asked about the reason for the confiscation, the SDF members told him to review the al-Sanour checkpoint to get back his belongings, which later proved to be merely a means of evading responsibility, as the victims faced immense difficulty, if not impossibility, in reclaiming everything taken from them.
Repeated incidents
These incidents have noticeably increased in the past two weeks, with several similar cases recorded in the al-Akkadah neighborhood of Abu Hammam and on the al-Shirkah road in the same town.
Ghanem, who preferred not to disclose his full name for security reasons, was subjected to a robbery that targeted his belongings (mobile phone, pistol, and laptop), along with 6,000 US dollars he had in his possession, by one of the sudden makeshift checkpoints set up in the area.
He told Enab Baladi that these practices are no longer isolated random incidents; they have become a recurring pattern among the local population. He added that the makeshift checkpoints facilitate SDF members in committing these abuses away from the eyes of the public.
Another victim, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, said that an SDF patrol stopped him while he was returning home at night in Abu Hammam on his motorcycle.
He mentioned that the members demanded he hand over his motorcycle and phone, and when he objected, he was threatened with arrest, adding that they told him, “Go to the al-Sanour checkpoint and retrieve your belongings,” but after visiting several times, he was told each time that the items were not available or that the responsible person was not present.
Journalist Ibrahim al-Hussein, director of the Alsharqia Post website, told Enab Baladi that the recurrence of theft and robbery incidents by the SDF in Deir Ezzor threatens to have serious ramifications on their relationship with local communities. He considered that these practices lead to a deterioration of trust and intensify hostility, fueling separatist and marginalization narratives and undermining the legitimacy of the SDF.
He added that the SDF’s acts of theft carried out by its members destabilize security and push residents to defend themselves, while deteriorating living conditions exacerbate social tension.
He believes that directing victims to the al-Sanour checkpoint to reclaim their belongings can be interpreted as an attempt to control corruption and beautify the image, but it could also be a form of pressure on the victims. He emphasized that the increase in theft incidents in areas like Abu Hammam is driven by rampant corruption and a lack of accountability.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) documented 64 cases of arrest by the SDF in May, out of a total of 157 arbitrary arrests in Syria.
SDF checkpoints steal from passersby in Abu Hammam eastern Deir Ezzor Enab Baladi.
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