On Saturday, July 4, 2026, personnel from the Public Security Forces affiliated with the Syrian Interim Authority arrested 10 Kurdish citizens from the Afrin region in the northern countryside of Aleppo. The arrests took place as they were crossing the Al-Karama checkpoint in the countryside of Raqqa Governorate while traveling to Al-Hasakah Governorate accompanied by members of their families. This incident raises growing concerns over the continuous targeting of Kurdish civilians through detention and arrest procedures.
According to available information, all the detainees are natives of the Afrin region and were on their way to Al-Hasakah Governorate with their families when checkpoint personnel stopped them. Sources reported that the personnel inspected their mobile phones before proceeding to arrest them after allegedly finding—according to the sources—images of Kurdish symbols and photos related to the “Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).”
The sources added that the checkpoint personnel escorted the detainees to an unknown destination without announcing clear legal grounds for their detention or disclosing their whereabouts. Meanwhile, the women accompanying the families were not detained, as the arrests were strictly limited to the young men.
These developments coincide with the ongoing return of convoys of displaced Kurds from the areas east of the Euphrates to the Afrin region. These return operations, which began at the start of 2026, follow announced understandings between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Interim Authority. This situation raises human rights concerns that such practices could undermine freedom of movement and the safety of returnees, thereby necessitating independent investigations and ensuring respect for legal guarantees and civilian rights.
