Regime Attacks On Kurds And YPG Continue In Al-Hasakah

Fighting between Syrian regime forces and the YPG in Hesekê (Al-Hasakah) – which began after Syrian forces attacked the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of  Salihiyê, Til Hecer, Mesakên and Muftî – have entered a third day according to a report from Özgür Gündem. The attacks, which began in the afternoon two days ago, have seen regime forces target these neighborhoods with mortar fire and cluster munitions. The YPG responded by launching a series of coordinated attacks against regime positions yesterday, capturing a local police station in the process.

At least 11 citizens were killed yesterday, and more were injured today, in ongoing regime shelling of civilian areas. Following the YPG’s capture of the Sebax checkpoint the regime responded by shelling that area as well. According to a statement from the YPG press center fighting has become particularly intense around the Talya camp in the east of Hesekê, near Xişman and the area around the hospital in Hay Eskerî in the city center. Two YPG fighters and 6 Asayish security personnel are reported to have lost their lives in the fighting. The statement read in part: “Regime forces are continuing to shell Kurdish neoughoroods with tanks and other heavy weapons. Dozens of regime soldiers have been killed. Intense fighting continues.”

They Want To Suffocate Autonomy

A second statement from the Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM) stressed that the regime was working to create conflict between local Arabs and Kurds in an effort to destroy any system of political autonomy. The TEV-DEM statement read: “Over the past four years many dark forces have attempted to poison the environment between Kurds and Arabs. The Baath regime’s attacks in Hesekê are directed at the will to freedom, different ethnic groups in the region and the its system of democratic autonomous government. These attacks will be broken and account for nothing, just as has happened in the past.”