One day before the dispatch of the first convoy for the return of displaced Kurds to the Afrin region, after more than seven years since their displacement, the city of Jindires witnessed a horrific murder that claimed the lives of three civilians on the morning of Sunday, 8 March 2026. The incident followed an armed attack targeting two workers and the owner of a jewelry and currency-exchange shop in the city center, in an event that raises renewed concerns regarding the security situation and the safety of civilians in the area.
According to available information, the crime took place in the city of Jindires in the Afrin region of northern Syria, near the area known as the “New Bazaar.” Armed assailants opened fire on the victims while they were inside a vehicle near the jewelry shop where they worked. The perpetrators then stole the money and gold jewelry that were in their possession before fleeing the scene.
The attack resulted in the killing of three individuals, identified as:
Murad Hussein Aziz – a Kurd from the countryside of the city of Jindires, belonging to the “Etara” family, who worked at the jewelry shop.
Ahmed al-Barakat – owner of the “Al-Barakat” jewelry shop, originally from the town of Bannan al-Hass (Jabal al-Hass) in the southern countryside of al-Safira.
Mohammad bin Abu Murad – a jeweler working at the same shop, originally from the village of Umm Jurn in the countryside of al-Safira.
The identity of the perpetrators remains unknown at the time of preparing this report, and no party has claimed responsibility for the attack.
This crime occurred only one day before the scheduled return of the first convoy of displaced Kurdish residents of Afrin to their area, following years of displacement. According to an official statement, the Governor of al-Hasakah, Engineer Nour al-Din Ahmed, met with a presidential delegation tasked with following up on the file of the displaced, during which it was agreed to dispatch the first convoy consisting of approximately 400 families from Afrin.
The convoy is scheduled to depart on Monday morning at 7:00 a.m. from Panorama Roundabout in the city of al-Hasakah, under security protection.
Since 2018, the Afrin region has witnessed a series of violations against Kurdish residents, including killings, kidnappings, and torture, in addition to the imposition of financial extortion and restrictions on freedom of expression and cultural identity. These violations escalated after Turkey and Syrian factions affiliated with it took control of the region on 18 March 2018.
These developments led to the displacement of more than 400,000 Kurdish residents of the region, while those who chose to remain were subjected to serious abuses by armed factions, including al-Amshat, al-Hamzat, and Ahrar al-Sharqiya.
Discussion of the return of the displaced comes in the aftermath of an agreement reached on 29 January 2026 between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Interim Authority in Damascus, which stipulated a ceasefire and the creation of conditions conducive to the return of displaced Kurds to their areas.
The crime that occurred in Jindires raises human-rights concerns regarding the impact of the unstable security situation on the safety of civilians, particularly as practical steps have begun toward the return of displaced persons to the region.
