Eleven Syrian army soldiers were killed and seven from the Kurdish Asayesh (security) forces, according to the Kurdish forces and confirmed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The regime side instigated the incident, according to the Kurdish forces.
Three regime vehicles on patrol entered into areas under Kurdish control and arrested unarmed civilians. As the regime forces passed through a checkpoint “the patrols targeted our forces with light and medium weapons and our forces responded to this attack,” read a statement from the force published by ANHA news.
A member of the Asayesh walks by a truck belonging to the regime forces at the site of clashes between the two sides in Qamishli on Saturday. Photo: Delil Souleiman/AFP
The Observatory said the city is tense with “both sides on alert” in anticipation of developments in the city where Damascus has maintained a small military contingent in the Kurdish-controlled Rojava region.
Regime and Kurdish forces have clashed occasionally, but generally have avoided confrontation during Syria’s seven-year conflict.
Updated at 2:51 pm
