Rojava blames Damascus for deadly clashes in coastal area
Also in Syria
Assad remnants launch deadly attacks on Damascus forces in western Syria
Elderly Kurdish couple killed in Damascus
Clashes leave 15 dead in southern Syria
Italy approves €4.5 million Syria aid package
A+ A-
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Friday warned that the country could be dragged 'to the brink of the abyss' and accused the new authorities in Damascus of failing to understand Syria's diversity after dozens of people were killed in clashes between security personnel and loyalists of ousted president Bashar al-Assad.
The Kurdish-led Democratic Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (DAANES) said it was concerned and saddened by the clashes and blamed the violence on Damascus, saying it failed to 'take into account the sensitivity of the situation in Syria, especially the diversity in components and spectrums.'
Attacks and ambushes by armed men loyal to the toppled regime on Thursday led to the deaths of at least 70 people and dozens of others were wounded in Alawite-majority areas on Syria's western coast, a stronghold of the Assad family, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The DAANES warned that such deadly escalations could drag 'our homeland to the brink of the abyss and may cause massacres against our Syrian people.'
Local authorities imposed overnight curfews in areas affected by the unrest and Damascus deployed reinforcements to curb the advance of armed groups who reportedly had taken control of some territory.
No official figures have been released regarding the death toll.
The new authorities in Damascus, headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group that spearheaded the offensive that drove Assad out of the country in December, have come under repeated criticism for their treatment of minority groups.
Kurdish ruling and opposition parties in Rojava have accused Damascus of marginalizing Kurds after they were not invited to a National Dialogue Conference or to sit on the committee tasked with drafting a constitutional declaration.
The conference, held in Damascus last month, was intended to be a step toward free and fair elections, the formation of an inclusive government, and the drafting of a new constitution. However, the event sparked a wave of criticism after 35 political parties in Rojava issued a joint statement questioning its ability to 'pave the way for a genuine solution to the country's crisis.'
Weeks after taking power, Sharaa said he would respect the rights of all ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds.
Clashes have also broken out in the south of the country and Israel has threatened a military incursion to defend Druze communities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
5 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Kurdistan's $110B gamble: A new front in the Baghdad-Erbil oil war
Shafaq News/ More than two years after the suspension of Kurdish oil exports following an international arbitration ruling, tensions between Baghdad and Erbil have reignited once again. This time, the dispute centers on a $110B oil and gas agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and two American companies. Signed during a high-profile visit by KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to Washington, the deals target the development of strategic gas fields in the Region's al-Sulaymaniyah province. The first contract involves HKN Energy, a US-based company active in Kurdistan since 2007. HKN holds a 62% majority stake in the Sarsang block in northern Kurdistan, alongside ShaMaran (18%) and the KRG (20%), and has extracted over 63 million barrels of oil from the Swara Tika and East Swara Tika fields and employs between 200 and 500 staff across its offices in Erbil and Texas. The second company, WesternZagros, is a Canadian energy firm founded in 2003 and operating in Kurdistan since 2005. Headquartered in Calgary, it manages operations from Erbil and al-Sulaymaniyah and has invested more than $1B in the Region, with main assets including the Kormir and Karmian fields, estimated to contain 5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 900 million barrels of recoverable oil. According to KRG officials, the Miran and Topkhana-Kormir fields covered by the agreements are expected to supply 24-hour electricity to the Region and potentially export surplus power to the rest of Iraq. 'This is not just about energy security—it's about political leverage,' local energy analyst Kovand Sherwani told Shafaq News. 'If implemented, these projects could drastically reduce the Region's reliance on Iranian fuel and grant it more bargaining power with Baghdad.' The United States welcomed the deals as a step toward enhancing Iraq's energy sovereignty. A senior State Department official told Shafaq News, 'The United States believes that Iraq will be more stable and sovereign by achieving energy independence and distancing itself from Iran's harmful influence,' the official stated. 'We encourage Baghdad and Erbil to work together to begin gas production as soon as possible,' he added. American energy expert Dr. Paul Sullivan of Johns Hopkins University also told Shafaq News that 'Erbil's decision to strike massive deals with US companies signals closer ties between Kurdistan and Washington in a vital sector, and may imply implicit American support for the Region.' However, he cautioned that 'unless constitutional disputes are resolved through a federal oil and gas law, this move will only deepen the crisis with Baghdad.' The Iraqi government responded swiftly to the deal. The Oil Ministry issued a statement rejecting the deals as 'null and void,' asserting that they violate Iraq's laws and the authority of the federal government. Citing the constitutional status of Iraq's natural resources, Baghdad argued that the KRG has no right to unilaterally sign contracts, especially while operating under a caretaker government awaiting elections, due to possible obligations on future administrations. MP Basim Naghamish, a member of the Parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee, echoed the ministry's stance. 'It is unacceptable for any party to operate independently of the federal government on the oil file. What Erbil has done—signing contracts with foreign companies unilaterally—constitutes a serious constitutional and financial violation. We will use all legal means to stop this unilateral move and protect Iraq's national wealth,' he stated. The deals also triggered a backlash in Parliament, including from some of the KRG's traditional allies, with several Baghdad-based parties within the governed Shiite Coordination Framework accusing the Region of violating revenue-sharing agreements, warning that such unilateral moves could derail national budget negotiations and legislative cooperation. In response, Kurdish officials defended the deals as essential to securing energy stability and financial sustainability in the face of continued delays in federal budget transfers and the suspension of oil exports through Turkiye. The Region has faced mounting liquidity pressures since March 2023, when the International Chamber of Commerce ruled against Turkiye's unilateral export of Kurdish crude, leading to losses exceeding $20B in potential revenue. Economist Mustafa Faraj told Shafaq News the deal could be a 'double-edged sword' for the KRG. 'There's no doubt these agreements represent a major investment opportunity. They could revitalize Kurdistan's economy through infrastructure development, job creation, and expanded power generation.' But, he added, 'They're not a magic bullet. Their success hinges on legal clarity and political stability. If the dispute with Baghdad remains unresolved, investors may hesitate, and implementation could be delayed.' At the same time, the KRG garnered support from Kurdish and American lawmakers, who pointed to Baghdad's repeated delays in disbursing the Region's financial entitlements, including unpaid May salaries, leaving Erbil with no choice but to seek independent solutions to meet its basic energy and fiscal needs. At the core of the legal conflict is Iraq's 'failure' to enact a federal oil and gas law. Article 112 of the 2005 Constitution calls for cooperative management of natural resources between Baghdad and the regions, yet in the absence of binding legislation, both sides have adopted clashing interpretations of the constitution. 'The legislative vacuum has created a constitutional gray zone,' political analyst Yassin Aziz told Shafaq News. 'There is no operational clarity between the center and the regions—especially regarding who oversees which stage of oil production, from exploration to export.' He added that divergent views on federalism itself exacerbate the conflict. 'While Kurdistan believes the constitution grants it real and broad powers, many in Baghdad remain committed to a centralist mindset, viewing any independent economic initiative as a challenge to state authority.' Observers agree that the only long-term solution lies in passing a comprehensive federal oil and gas law that balances regional rights with federal oversight. Yet after nearly two decades of impasse, that breakthrough remains out of reach. In the meantime, Erbil appears determined to proceed, leveraging US backing and investor confidence to solidify its energy sector, though Baghdad must decide whether to double down on legal confrontation—or return to the negotiating table.
Shafaq News
7 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Al-Sudani's visit to Al-Anbar: Political and developmental messages
Shafaq News/ Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani paid a visit to Al-Anbar province, in what political observers and local sources described as a gesture loaded with messages of support, balance, and national development. Al-Sudani arrived in Al-Anbar earlier on Sunday, where he met with several tribal leaders at the start of his tour. Although not part of an official government agenda, the visit was closely watched by political actors in the province. Sources from Al-Anbar told Shafaq News that the visit had been planned for over a month but was postponed due to a prior trip by a senior figure within the Coordination Framework, the leader of the Wisdom Movement (Al-HiKma) Ammar al-Hakim. The delay aimed to avoid framing the prime minister's visit as politically or electorally motivated. One source stated that the meeting with tribal sheikhs was intended as a 'friendly and direct' interaction, signaling support for local efforts to maintain stability and prevent Al-Anbar from becoming aligned with any single political faction. 'This is about preserving balance—particularly ahead of elections on November,' the source noted. Separately, a member of Al-Anbar's Provincial Council told Shafaq News that the visit did not adhere to formal institutional procedures. 'The provincial flag was not raised during the visit, which indicates that it was not part of coordinated efforts with the council,' the official said. Moreover, the prime minister's decision to meet with figures known for their public criticism of the local government—such as Hamid al-Hayis and Arkan al-Tarmouz—was interpreted as a sign of his intention to recalibrate political dynamics within the province. Both men have recently directed sharp criticisms and direct appeals to the prime minister regarding the performance of Al-Anbar's local administration. 'The meetings seem to align with their recent statements, and the move has sparked questions among local observers, particularly due to the exclusion of elected bodies from the visit,' the source added. Al-Sudani's visit—though unofficial—comes at a pivotal time for Al-Anbar, one of Iraq's most strategically important provinces. With 15 parliamentary seats, Al-Anbar is a Sunni-majority region that plays a key role in shaping national politics. In the 2021 elections, the Taqadum Alliance, led by former Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, secured a dominant position with 11 seats. Notably, however, two seats were won by independents. This independent presence may offer potential avenues for cooperation, especially as the Iraqi Prime Minister has not, to date, aligned himself with any specific political alliance in the province.
Shafaq News
a day ago
- Shafaq News
Gunmen target Israeli outpost in southern Syria
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, armed assailants opened fire on an Israeli military outpost in southern Syria before fleeing the area, in the latest cross-border incident near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Golan Heights, internationally recognized as Syrian territory, has been occupied and later annexed by Israel since the 1967 and 1981 wars—a move not recognized by any country except the United States. According to local media outlet Daraa 24, the attack targeted the al-Jazeera outpost, located in Daraa province. Two gunmen riding a motorcycle reportedly approached from a nearby mortar launch point and opened fire, then escaped, though their identities remain unknown. Israeli forces returned fire indiscriminately toward civilian homes in the village, with no casualties or damage reported. A similar incident occurred on June 7, when unidentified individuals on motorcycles neared a checkpoint near the same outpost before retreating, prompting Israeli troops to open fire in response. Israeli forces have expanded their presence inside southern Syria since December 8, 2024, establishing buffer zones and reinforcing positions in territory formerly controlled by the al-Assad regime. Analysts view Israel's continued incursions and strikes as a major obstacle to restoring stable governance in post-conflict Syria. Tel Aviv maintains that its operations are aimed at preventing Iranian entrenchment near its borders, while Damascus accuses Israel of violating national sovereignty and undermining regional stability.
