Nabila Hanan, 28, stood on the edge of a rock, overlooking the Shahbaa camp, reflecting on her husband’s decision to return to Afrin. Speaking to Daraj via phone, she said: “Six years of suffering, loss, and misery in this camp… my husband decided that returning to our home in Bulbul village in Afrin is the best option.”

Nabila and her family had fled to the Shahbaa camp following the entry of Syrian opposition forces into Afrin during the “Olive Branch” operation in 2016. She continued: “We returned to our house, but my children didn’t even recognize it at first. Everything had changed—the façade, the garden, even the trees were gone. I can’t understand why some militants harbor such hostility towards trees, cutting them so mercilessly. I gathered my strength and entered the house, but it was as if it needed to be rebuilt from scratch. Everything had been looted, every trace vanished.”

She concluded, “A house left abandoned for six years, with no one to safeguard it… I’m not surprised it was emptied in the absence of governance or any protection for residents’ property.”

Rapid Changes Complicating Residents’ Choices

Simultaneously, with the Syrian opposition factions and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launching the operation “Countering Aggression,” other opposition factions initiated “Dawn of Freedom.” This campaign involved three corps:

First Corps which includes major participating factions such as Liwa al-Shamal (Northern Brigade), 113th Brigade, Ahrar al-Sharqiya Gathering, Eastern Army, 112th Brigade, Mohammad al-Fateh Brigade, and Faylaq al-Sham (Sham Legion).

Second Corps which includes the Sultan Murad Division, Hamza Division, Mutasim Division, Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam), and Faylaq al-Rahman (Rahman Corps).

Third Corps which includes Al-Jabha al-Shamiyya (Sham Front), Liwa al-Islam, and Faylaq al-Majd(Majd Corps).

The stated objectives behind these operations were to prevent the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from establishing a corridor between Tel Rifaat and northeast Syria and to weaken their control in these areas. The factions successfully seized Shahbaa, its towns, and villages, particularly Tel Rifaat, severing the road linking Aleppo to Raqqa. This blocked the SDF’s plan to connect Manbij with Tel Rifaat. “Countering Aggression” thus was able to control Aleppo and expel governmental forces.

Faced with these developments, the SDF agreed to a deal with the factions to surrender the town in exchange for the safe departure of residents. They ensured that displaced families could freely choose to stay, return to Afrin, or relocate to northeast Syria. According to statistics provided by active political and local organizations in Afrin, the overwhelming majority of residents preferred returning to their homes in Afrin over enduring another displacement.

Horo Osman, a member of the Central Committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria, spoke to Daraj over the phone, saying they closely monitor the return process and provide necessary assistance:
“The return of residents from Shahbaa, its surroundings, and Aleppo has continued for over a week. After six years as refugees in dire conditions, we welcomed them back—exhausted and impoverished, without vehicles or means of transport. Most returnees are elderly, women, and people with disabilities. While we celebrate their return, it is bittersweet, as they left because of war and now return because of war. In just seven days, over 1,800 families have returned, and many others remain unregistered.”

Osman added that the Barzani Charity Foundation, the local council, and affiliated Kurdish organizations are providing emergency services, transportation, food, and basic supplies. Vehicles and buses have been sent to Tel Rifaat, Shahbaa, and nearby displacement areas to transport families back to Afrin. Sources within the Barzani Charity Foundation confirmed that they are providing returning families with essential supplies, including food, blankets, children’s necessities, and mobile clinic services, as well as ensuring families are settled into their homes or with their relatives.

Rinas Abdo, one of the returnees from Tel Rifaat, shared his experience:
“Throughout the journey, I imagined we would be sent to tents again. To my surprise, there were no tents; we were returning to our homes or staying with relatives temporarily. When I reached my house, I found a militant and his family living there. His wife asked me to wait until her husband returned from the ongoing battles. I will wait, but I won’t give up my house. My aunt is hosting us for now, but my house looks like ruins, neglected and damaged.”

Rinas described the journey back as “long and exhausting, taking over three hours when it normally would take one. The rough roads, delays to gather families, and the luggage we carried prolonged the trip.”

He reflected on the chaos of the first displacement: “We left with nothing, unsure of where we were going. This time, we brought everything we’ve gathered over the years, knowing we’re returning home. Yet concerns about our children’s education, employment, safety, and the presence of armed factions haunt us. Still, reaching Afrin’s gates was a life-changing moment. We all shouted in unison, ‘Afrin, we are home!’”

The Reverse Return

There are no accurate figures or statistics regarding the number of displaced Syrians returning to Afrin due to shifting locations or migration to other areas. However, it is estimated that tens of thousands have returned, including civilians whose homes and properties were destroyed by the war and members of armed factions controlling the city.

In a phone interview with Daraj, civil activist Abu Kurdo (42) described the return as “a historic moment in our lives; we waited a long time for the return of families. We felt endangered because of our small numbers, but now we feel safe as we see our friends, neighbors, and relatives returning to live alongside us again.” He added, “Our people are returning, and displaced residents from Tel Rifaat, Shahba, and Aleppo are also going back to their homes. This is a tremendous achievement. Our homes are being reclaimed, and the threat of demographic change is fading. We encourage them to return to their areas and rebuild them, just like the people of Afrin.”

Munifa Al-Khaled, from Tel Rifaat, summed up her feelings by saying, “No walls are as kind as the ones in our homes and birthplace, even if those walls are crumbling.”

Monitoring Violations

On the possibility of ongoing violations against returning civilians, Horo stated: “We are conducting a joint campaign between political parties and the residents. Eight committees have been formed to document any violations, and aid distribution continues based on these records.” He acknowledged lingering challenges, such as “smear campaigns against the return, doubts about the promise of a decent life, and demographic changes that require the return of residents to prevent them. For every house proven to have displaced residents, and its rightful owner has returned, we have been promised it will be handed over within days.”

Abu Kurdo confirmed this, saying: “There are challenges in evicting those who currently occupy our homes, but we are determined to reclaim them. We will not set up tents for the people of Afrin while others occupy their homes.”

Zuhair Mohammed, 49, an English teacher, raised concerns about education. He explained to Daraj: “We will face problems integrating youth into education, particularly those in preparatory and secondary levels who have been taught in Kurdish. Their skills are already weak, so how can they be integrated with students learning under Arabic, Turkish, and Kurdish curricula? This will be one of the most complex issues we face.”

Academic Farid Saadon, 51, reflected on the situation, linking his past stance to the present, and said to Daraj: “Before they left Afrin, I urged them to remain in their areas. I held to my position that they should return to their homes and villages. Today, I say it loudly and clearly: No to the displacement of Afrin’s residents to Tabqa, Raqqa, and Hasakah. That would be a second forced displacement, moving them thousands of kilometers away from their homes. The logical, rational, national, and Kurdish solution is their return to Afrin—nothing else.”