Syria
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters stand guard at Al Naeem Square, in Raqqa, Syria on February 7, 2022. File photo: AP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported that five of their members were injured in an attack purportedly carried out by “Damascus-affiliated armed groups” in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province. The Kurdish-led forces held the Syrian interim government “directly responsible” for the assault and called for an immediate end to such actions.
In a statement released late Sunday, the SDF said that “armed groups affiliated with the Damascus government launched an attack on a military post belonging to the al-Kasra Military Council in the town of al-Junaynah, in western Deir ez-Zor countryside, using BKC machine guns and a drone.”
The SDF added that “five of our fighters were wounded in the clashes” as they “repelled the attack,” and claimed to have inflicted “casualties among the attackers.”
Describing the assault as “a desperate attempt to sow chaos and destabilize the region,” the SDF asserted that “such treacherous attacks will not deter us from fulfilling our duty.” The group further held the Syrian interim government “directly responsible for the actions of these groups” and called upon it to “immediately rein in its members and cease these aggressions.”
Backed by the United States, the SDF functions as the de facto military force in the Kurdish-majority northeast Syria (Rojava). It remains a key partner of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (ISIS).
The latest statement comes amid ongoing mutual accusations between the SDF and the Damascus government, with each side blaming the other for recent attacks on their respective positions.
In early August, the Kurdish-led internal security forces (Asayish), affiliated with the SDF, reported that two of their members were injured when a “suicide drone” launched by the Syrian interim government struck a security checkpoint in northern Aleppo.
Responding to the accusations, Syria’s defense ministry denied to Rudaw that its forces had conducted “any attacks” in Aleppo neighborhoods. Instead, the ministry accused the Kurdish-led SDF of “launching several attacks” on Syrian army positions, including a purported infiltration attempt in the Tal Ma'az area east of Aleppo, which resulted in the death of a Syrian soldier.
On March 10, SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a landmark agreement to integrate “all civil and military institutions” in Rojava under the administration of the Syrian state and to enforce a “ceasefire across all Syrian territory.”
However, the two sides remain at odds over the interpretation of the term integration. While the SDF seeks to join the Syrian forces as a unified bloc, Damascus prefers to individually absorb and assimilate Kurdish fighters into the Syrian army.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment