Turkish-backed fighters of the Ahrar al-Sharqiya armed militia opened gunfire on a Kurdish family celebrating the Kurdish New Year -Newroz- in Jindires on Monday, killing at least four people and wounding two others.
PM Barzani on Tuesday expressed his solidarity and extended his condolences to the victims’ families, also wishing a speedy recovery for the wounded.
“As we condemn this crime in the strongest terms, we call on those responsible in the region to hold the perpetrators accountable and bring them to justice,” read a statement from the Kurdish premier.
The Kurdistan Region’s Presidency also strongly condemned the attack, calling on relevant authorities to find the perpetrators and “prevent the repetition of such crimes,” according to a statement from Spokesperson Dilshad Shahab.
The Barzani Headquarters joined in the condemnations, calling for accountability and saying that the victims were “practicing their most basic of rights.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said Tuesday evening that three Ahrar al-Sharqiya militants -originally from Deir ez-Zor- were arrested by security forces in relation to the killing of the Newroz celebrants.
Hundreds of protestors took to the streets of Jindires on Tuesday to protest the killings while waving the Kurdish flag as burial processions commenced.
Jindires was seized by Turkey and Turkish-backed forces in 2018 during an operation to drive Kurdish forces of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) from the Afrin area.
The Ahrar al-Sharqiya militia is known for various human rights violations and assassinations against Kurds in the country.
Updated at 9:52PM
