ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A Kurdish force in northeastern Syria have accused groups loyal to the regime of “sowing discord” among the people after one person was killed in a clash in Hasaka on Sunday, the latest incident in growing tensions between the two sides.
“The National Defense Militia continues to sow discord among the different components of the region, especially after it has targeted our security checkpoints in Qamishli and today targeted our security points in Hasaka,” read a statement from the Asayesh (Kurdish internal security forces) of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava).
The Asayesh accused the Syrian government’s National Defence Forces (NDF) of “fabricating lies with the support of external parties.”
Clashes broke out between the NDF and Asayesh at Hasaka’s security square on Sunday during a demonstration staged by regime loyalists to lift a Kurdish-imposed “siege” on their neighborhood.
One person was killed and at least three others were injured. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the deceased was a policeman with the pro-government forces.
The firefight came during a demonstration staged by regime loyalists in protest against the siege on their neighbourhood.
“Today’s demonstration is to lift the siege. They have prevented the import of fuel and flour into the neighbourhood,” local shopkeeper Ahmed Alaabood told Rudaw’s Viviyan Fetah.
Another local resident, Abdulrahman Hisino, said the clash began when “demonstrators attacked the checkpoint Kurmanj [Asayesh] guys.”
State media SANA reported the Asayesh opened fire to disperse the crowd.
Rojava is under the control of Kurdish-led forces, but Damascus has retained a limited presence in a few areas, including “security squares” in Hasaka and Qamishli. The Asayesh have imposed a siege on those areas for more than 20 days.
The internal security forces have said they will lift their siege when the regime lifts its blockade on the Shahba region, according to the Observatory. Shahba is a pocket of territory under Kurdish control north of Aleppo where many families displaced from Afrin have been sheltering since a 2018 Turkey invasion.
Media close to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Hawar news, reported the blockade was imposed after “provocations” from regime forces as tensions between the two sides have escalated in recent weeks, with several clashes and incidents in both Hasaka and Qamishli.
Shortly after the outbreak of the Syrian conflict ten years ago, the Kurdish-majority north established an autonomous administration, carving out an area of control known as Rojava where they have governed their own affairs and promoted the rights of minority groups, including Kurds, who were marginalized for decades under the regime. The Kurds also established their own armed forces, the SDF, that were key allies with international forces in the war against the Islamic State (ISIS).
Damascus largely left Rojava alone while it focused on fighting rebel forces in other regions of the country, but its goal is to reassert federal control over the entire nation. The Kurds attempted to negotiate with Damascus, but talks fell through.
