ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Washington condemns the incident in Gri Spi (Tel Abyad) north of Syria in which displaced Kurdish families faced violence from rioters following attempts to return after seven years of displacement, an official from the US State Department told Rudaw late Tuesday, while calling on Damascus to hold the perpetrators accountable.
“Syrians displaced by years of conflict must be able to return home safely and voluntarily, free from violence and intimidation,” a spokesperson from the US Department told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda through email.
“The Syrian government must hold all perpetrators of violence accountable and ensure the security of all Syrians, including returning families,” he stated.
His statement comes as a group of internally-displaced persons (IDP) from Gri Spi on Monday returned with their title deeds, hoping to retrieve the properties they left behind after a Turkish-led offensive in 2019 that forced an exodus of Kurdish residents.
Their return was met with immediate violence and vandalism from rioters.
One of the survivors of the incident told Rudaw earlier on Tuesday that “around 70 to 80” vehicles suffered damages. Videos circulating on social media also showed rioters overturning cars and setting them on fire.
He recounted rioters chanting “Allahu Akbar” as they approached the convoys, heaping insults and stating “you are pigs.”
More than 200 IDPs were trapped in a building for nearly nine hours before security forces arrived at the scene.
The attack marks the second incident of this magnitude that Kurdish IDPs have been subjected to. A convoy carrying a batch of Kurdish IDPs displaced from Sare Kane (Ras al-Ayn), east of Gri Spi, was attacked by settlers and rioters in August. Sare Kane also experienced an exodus of Kurdish residents following the 2019 Turkish offensive.
Reiterating support for “a unified, sovereign Syria,” the US official said “Kurds and all other communities” must be able to “enjoy equal citizenship, security, and meaningful participation in governance” in the country.
He also urged the Syrian government and local authorities to “uphold their commitments, address legitimate concerns, and take practical steps to rebuild trust between communities.”
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