Life back to normal in Syria's Hasakah, residents say
HASAKAH, Syria - Markets are open and people are back at work in the ethnically divided city of Hasakah in Syria, after a ceasefire ended a deadly standoff between government and Kurdish forces last week.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 40 people were killed in the clashes that lasted for over a week and prompted Syrian jet fighters to bomb Kurdish administrated parts of Hasakah for the first time.
The clashes appeared to be the most serious confrontation between Kurdish YPG fighters and government-backed forces in the area since the start of the uprising in 2011.
"Life went back to normal when the armed groups left the city," said Shafab Ali, a resident in Hasakah. "Parts of the town have been destroyed because of the clashes, but we love our city and don't want to abandon it," he said.
After the Russian-backed ceasefire, the city is now almost completely under Kurdish control although civilian pro-government police units will be remaining in the city according to the agreement.
With a population of around 200,000, Hasakah is divided among Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians and Armenians. Parts of the city has been administrated by the pro-government National Defense Force which has now officially left the city.
"Now people are not afraid of going out and continue their lives as normal. It's calm and we hope it continues this way," said Sulaiman Bakir, another resident in Hasakah.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 40 people were killed in the clashes that lasted for over a week and prompted Syrian jet fighters to bomb Kurdish administrated parts of Hasakah for the first time.
The clashes appeared to be the most serious confrontation between Kurdish YPG fighters and government-backed forces in the area since the start of the uprising in 2011.
"Life went back to normal when the armed groups left the city," said Shafab Ali, a resident in Hasakah. "Parts of the town have been destroyed because of the clashes, but we love our city and don't want to abandon it," he said.
After the Russian-backed ceasefire, the city is now almost completely under Kurdish control although civilian pro-government police units will be remaining in the city according to the agreement.
With a population of around 200,000, Hasakah is divided among Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians and Armenians. Parts of the city has been administrated by the pro-government National Defense Force which has now officially left the city.
"Now people are not afraid of going out and continue their lives as normal. It's calm and we hope it continues this way," said Sulaiman Bakir, another resident in Hasakah.