Syrian Abboud Jan repairs a disassembled rifle in his firearm-repair workshop in the central part of northeastern Syria’s Hasakeh city, on March 18, 2017. Abboud Jan spent 15 years in northeastern Syria’s Hasakeh city catering exclusively to local hunters who brought him their weapons for repairs, but the country’s brutal war has changed all that. But in the years since Syria’s conflict began in March 2011, his repertoire has expanded to include pistols and machine guns like the popular Russian DshK known locally as a “Dushka.” Many of his customers have also changed, either individuals who own a weapon for protection, or fighters who belong to local Kurdish or pro-regime militias. Much of Hasakeh province is under the control of Kurdish authorities, who run an “autonomous administration there” complete with separate schools and police units, but some parts are still under government control. / AFP/RSS PHOTO / Ayham al-Mohammad
Syria Conflict Weaponry
