As soon as the area of control of the ISIS organization in Deir Ezzor and Al-Raqqa diminished, the alternative forces deployed their military barriers along the two governorates,Each working under its own flag, on the pretext of maintaining security, but on the ground; they were barricades and the rest of the population, or wanted to return.According to Euphrates Post Reporters in Deir Ezzor and al-Raqqa, the barriers are widespread within the two governorates. They are divided into several sections, including those belonging to the Assad regime or allied militias, including the SDF, or Its affiliated militias,On the other hand, there are “bandits” in the areas under the control of the special “SDF” militias, characterized by masked individuals, unstable in a specific location, and often in the form of “fast barriers”.The information provided to us by our correspondents confirms that all checkpoints (of all types) are used to extort the civilians who are fleeing from them. The types of crimes carried out against the population vary, sometimes amounting to murder.
Barriers of regime forces or allied militias, particularly deployed in the towns, and villages of the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor (Shamia), have publicly practiced “arming” with merchants and other civilians by seizing a portion of the goods passing by, including vegetables, foodstuffs and food supplies , Or other materials, and from those who deliberately ask for money instead.The most dangerous checkpoints in the two governorates are located in the areas under the regime in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and belong to the militias loyal to the regime’s forces, which documented the theft of cars and goods, and sometimes the passers-by, to use weapons and kill some of those who tried to pass through them.
As for the SDF-controlled areas in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor, the barriers are divided into several sections, some of which belong to the Kurdish “security forces” militia (Asayish), others belonging to the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, Deir Ezzor military council “.Extortion in the “SDF” barriers in all its forms is carried out in different ways. For example, in the area of Tiana in countryside of dier ezzor a few days ago, when a car carrying medicines was held for a owner of a medical warehouse,
He was then released without returning his car and the medicines he carried, and even the mobile phone that was also seized, so that the checkpoint’s agents would send intermediaries to the same person, demanding that they pay a certain amount of money if they wanted to recover the medicines.
This incident is not the first of its kind, but there are similar cases of the seizure of goods and mechanisms for civilians, the owners are then required through intermediaries also, to pay certain amounts for their return, and these incidents are repeated with traders in particular, and the amounts required usually subject to the temperament of the elements of the barrier and their commander.
In addition to the above, the “SDF” control areas, the so-called “rapid barriers”, are masked gunmen who do not formally follow the SDF but are actually working with the knowledge of some of their leaders and under their protection,
They are deployed in particular on the Kharafi road or the Badia roads. They impose “Taxes by force” on those who wish to pass, with looting of goods and personal mobile phones under the threat of weapons.