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Kurds, Syrian regulars slug it out in Hasakah
[ARA News] HASAKAH – Clashes erupted Tuesday between the Kurds and the Syrian regime forces in the northeastern city of Hasakah. It’s unclear how many were killed in the clashes.Clashes broke out between the Kurdish security police [Asayish] and the pro-regime National Defence Forces in the city centre of Hasakah, near the Hasakah market, after regime forces attacked Kurdish positions on Tuesday afternoon. Hundreds of civilians fled the market after violence resumed in the city center. Reportedly, several civilians were injured. “PYD [Kurdish Democratic Union Party] has thus far been trying to bypass the Syrian regime by fostering relations with Russia at the expense of the Syrian state,” Ceng Sagnic, a researcher with the Tel Aviv-based Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, told ARA News. “As such, escalated tensions between PYD and Syrian regime forces are not any surprise,” he said. Moreover, analysts suggest the Syrian government rejects any form of federalism in northern Syria, and is not happy with the plans of the Kurdish-led local administration to move towards federalism in northern Syria and Rojava–announced in March this year. There have been serious rifts between the two sides over the last few months. In late April, heavy clashes took pace between the regime and the Kurdish security forces. In late July, there were also clashes between a pro-regime militia and the Kurds. Furthermore, Kurdish officials blamed the regime for facilitating an ISIS attack in the city of Qamishli on 27 July that killed over 50 civilians. Posted by: badanov 2016-08-17 |
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