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Assad Regime Depends on Militias To Smuggle Wheat From Kurdish-Held Areas

The Assad regime has ordered militias to smuggle wheat from areas held by the Syrian Democratic Forces, in the face of severe bread shortages reports Zaman Al-Wasl.
Assad Regime Depends on Militias To Smuggle Wheat From Kurdish-Held Areas

The Syrian regime forces have ordered the al-Qatirji militia to smuggle more wheat from the Kurdish-controlled eastern areas and through the Euphrates river crossings in eastern Deir ez-Zor province, local news site reported Sunday. 

According to the Ayn Al-Furat network, the regime forces demanded two trucks of wheat to be smuggled in via the crossings, for every truck of other materials. 

The al-Qatirji militia has stopped the smuggling of other materials, including barley, in favor of wheat following the orders issued, due to the severe shortage of wheat throughout regime-controlled regions.

The network sources explained that with a number of Russian companies canceling contracts to supply wheat to Syria, the grain is nearly depleted from the regime’s warehouses. 

The al-Qatirji militia brought in about 200 tons of wheat during the past few days from areas held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) through the Boqruss crossing that the militia uses for their smuggling operations. 

In regime-controlled areas, the severe bread crisis continues, as Assad’s regime is unable to provide the bare necessities for its people, who stand in long queues for hours to get their rations of subsidized bread, one of the only foods they can still afford at a critical time of severe economic and health crisis.

 

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.

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