The main Syrian Kurdish militia said Tuesday it arrested four of its fighters accused of damaged properties in a community decision to jihadist Islamic State Group (EI).
This news comes after accusations of activists and Amnesty International on abuse of Kurdish forces against Arab residents in areas listed in EI in northern Syria.
In a statement, the Kurdish people’s Protection Units (YPG) indicate that four of its members were arrested “on charges of damaging property of citizens in al-Hol and surrounding villages” in the province of Hasaka (northeast).
“At the end of the investigation and interrogations, their membership of YPG was withdrawn and they will go on trial in court” the statement said.
The four defendants were identified by their initials and pictures of them taken back were broadcast.
Al-Hol was taken in November at the EI by a coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters.
The arrests come in the wake of several reports of tensions between the YPG and the Arab inhabitants of the northern regions of Syria where the militia led battles against the IE with air support from the coalition led by the United STATES.
In October, Amnesty International accused the Kurdish forces to engage in forced displacement and destruction of homes in the north and northeast of the country consideration of these acts of “war crimes”.
The NGO claimed that they were carrying out “collective punishment campaigns” against residents, Arab majority, villages formerly held by the EI.
YPG had denounced these accusations and emphasized its alliance with Arab combatant groups which “removes any doubt” in their desire on any discrimination against an ethnic group.
Amnesty and activists also accused the Kurdish forces to prevent people from returning to their village after the EI has been driven.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) had recently reported demonstrations in Al-Hol people wanting to go home.
According to Kurdish forces, residents were not allowed to return during clearance operations or in places where the risk remained infiltration of IE.
Stéphane © armenews.com