Syrian "Militants" Enslaving Alawite Women in Idlib amid Surge in Militant Violence

Dozens of young Alawite women have reportedly been abducted and enslaved by militants in Syria's Idlib governorate since December, following the takeover of Damascus by the former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), according to a report by The Cradle.

Since December, Syria has seen a sharp increase in kidnappings targeting young women from the Alawite community, coinciding with the rise of HTS to power.

HTS, which seized Damascus on December 8 after a rapid offensive beginning in Aleppo, has facilitated the abduction and trafficking of these women to Idlib, a stronghold of the group.

According to The Cradle, the abductions bear resemblance to the 2014 genocide in Iraq, during which thousands of Yezidi women were enslaved by Daesh (ISIL or ISIS).