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A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed by the terrorist group PKK's Syria branch at a checkpoint in northern Syria after allegedly failing to stop when ordered, according to a United Nations security report released this week.
The incident occurred on July 2 at a checkpoint near the Sugar Factory at the northern entrance to Raqqa, a city controlled by the PKK's Syria branch, according to the U.N. Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) report.
The report, citing media sources, stated that a member of the terrorist group the PKK's Syria branch "opened fire on a 14-year-old child" at the checkpoint. "The child was reportedly shot and killed for failing to comply with a 'stop' warning at the checkpoint," the U.N. document said.
Local sources identified the victim as Ali Abbas el-Avni, a resident of the Rumeyle neighborhood in northern Raqqa.
The PKK's Syria branch has controlled Raqqa since capturing the city from the Daesh group in 2017 with support from a U.S.-led coalition. PKK's Syria branch is dominated by the U.S.-supported YPG, which Türkiye considers a terrorist organization linked to the PKK.
The incident comes as a part of ongoing tensions in northeastern Syria, where the PKK's Syria branch maintains control over significant territory despite facing pressure from Türkiye, which views the terror group PKK as a security threat along its border.
Raqqa, once the de facto capital of the Daesh self-proclaimed caliphate, has experienced periodic security incidents since its liberation. The city remains under the PKK's Syria branch administration as part of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.
The U.N. report did not indicate whether any investigation into the shooting has been launched or if disciplinary action was taken against the PKK's Syria branch member involved.
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