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Thefts on rise in Idlib amid rising poverty

Hardly a day goes by in Idlib areas without a civilian being robbed of a car, motorcycle or other property, triggering yet more fears and concerns for residents.
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IDLIB, Syria — Robberies have been on the rise in Syria’s opposition-controlled areas, be they controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or the Turkey-allied Free Syrian Army factions. But lately, robberies have multiplied in the Idlib areas controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and have become an almost daily occurrence, sparking fears and concerns among civilians, amid rampant unemployment and price hikes in those areas. Robberies have exacerbated civilians’ already tough circumstances.

Ibrahim Hamdan, 58, was displaced from Aleppo’s southern countryside and now lives in a camp in the Idlib countryside. He told Al-Monitor, “I have a big family of eight, and I drive a 1998 Hyundai pickup truck. I use the pickup to sell livestock. One day, while I was heading to the livestock market in al-Bardaghli town in the Idlib countryside, I parked on the side of the road and locked the vehicle. I left $500 inside it, and I entered the market for about one hour. When I returned, the pickup was gone. My heart almost stopped because of the shock. I started screaming and asking if anyone spotted the vehicle, but nobody answered. I realized it had been stolen. I went to the police station that is affiliated with the Syrian Salvation Government and filed a complaint. It has been around five months, and I still haven’t found it. I lost the $500 and the car, which costs around $3,300. I have nothing left to make ends meet. It was all we had, and we lost it in a moment.”

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