Residents of village in Deir ez-Zor release members of Syrian government in return for stolen livestock
Deir ez-Zor - SMART
The residents of the village of Hawija (River Island), east of Deir ez-Zor, Eastern Syria, released members of the Syrian government forces, in return for the livestock they stole.
On Wednesday, activists told SMART that the families captured five members of the government forces while they were stealing 150 sheep and 12 cows from the village. The residents made an agreement with other members of the government forces to exchange the prisoners with the stolen livestock.
The Hawija village is a point of contact between the government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces.
It is known that the government forces and militias support looting in its newly-controlled areas. Activists documented the Syrian government stealing large numbers of calves, cattle, sheep and camels and dozens of cars. They also documented the theft of fuel from the city of Mayadeen and house furniture in several cities and villages in Eastern Deir ez-Zor.