ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Thursday accused “Damascus-affiliated armed factions” of violating a ceasefire by targeting the Kurdish city of Kobane in northeast Syria (Rojava) and the al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa, which houses Islamic State (ISIS) detainees.
On Tuesday, the Syrian presidency announced that Damascus and the SDF had reached a “mutual understanding” on several issues, agreeing to grant the SDF a four-day consultation period to develop a detailed plan for the practical mechanism of integrating areas under its control.
The presidency added that, should an agreement be reached, Syrian government forces would not enter the centers of the predominantly Kurdish cities of Hasaka and Qamishli in Rojava, instead remaining on their outskirts.
Despite the agreement, the SDF said in a statement on Thursday that “simultaneously with the shelling of al-Aqtan prison, which houses ISIS militants, these factions targeted the outskirts of the town of Sarrin and attacked the village of Khrouss, south of Kobane, using heavy weapons and artillery.”
The statement added that “the entire southern and southwestern countryside of Kobane was also subjected to intense artillery fire, which continues as of the time of this report.”
The Kurdish-led force attached videos to its statement, published by social media accounts affiliated with Damascus-backed armed groups, which it said “document the artillery shelling being carried out on areas south of Kobane.”
“This constitutes a violation of the ceasefire for the second consecutive day,” the SDF said. “Yesterday alone, 22 violations were recorded, including attacks on Kobane, Hasaka, and al-Aqtan prison.”
Kobane continues to witness clashes, with officials from the Rojava administration warning that the symbolic city remains under siege, with water, electricity, and internet services cut off - measures that amount to war crimes.
Since mid-January, the Syrian Arab Army and allied armed groups have advanced into areas previously held by the SDF in eastern Aleppo, as well as parts of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and the Kurdish-majority Hasaka province.
The SDF serves as the de facto military force of Rojava. Until Syria joined the US-led Coalition to Defeat ISIS in November, the Kurdish-led forces were the coalition’s sole on-the-ground partner and played a central role in the territorial defeat of ISIS in Syria in 2019.
“In addition to military attacks, Damascus continues its policy of collective punishment by cutting off water and electricity to the city of Kobane and preventing fuel deliveries amid harsh winter conditions,” the SDF said. “It has also continued to cut off water to al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa, posing a direct threat to the lives of detainees and raising the risk of serious humanitarian consequences.”
Updated at 05:22pm
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