Latest news with #Damascus-SDF
Rudaw Net
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Kurdish forces arrest 16 ISIS militants in Roj camp
Also in Syria SDF chief says local, international efforts pushing for nationwide Syria ceasefire Has the Damascus leadership begun reconciliation with Syria's minority groups? Syrian forces detain 20 from Suwayda after forum participation: Monitor New batch of Damascus-SDF prisoners to be exchanged Sunday: Advisor A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish-led security forces arrested more than a dozen Islamic State (ISIS) militants, seized communication equipment and uncovered a secret trench during a raid on Roj camp in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Saturday. '16 members of the [ISIS] organization's cells and accomplices were arrested. It was confirmed that they were involved in communicating with foreign [ISIS] cells for the purpose of recruitment and smuggling families' from the camp, read a statement from the Kurdish Women's Protection Units (YPJ) in Rojava on Monday. Roj is the smaller of the two camps in Rojava housing people with links to ISIS. The larger al-Hol camp houses some 40,000 people and has been branded a breeding ground for terrorism. Both camps are located in northeastern Syria's Hasaka province and are controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who have warned about a possible ISIS resurgence and the security risks posed by the camps. The YPJ on Saturday added that the operation it led also saw the seizure of 'advanced communication equipment that were used to coordinate with [accomplices in] the outside world.' 'This operation constitutes a new milestone in our ongoing path to combat terrorism, protect society from the threat of ISIS, and ensure a safe and stable environment for our people in Syria and for all peoples of the world,' stated the women-led Kurdish security forces. The raid also uncovered a secret trench dug under the camp's outer fence, which had been used for infiltration and smuggling activities. Most of the people in the al-Hol and Roj camps are Iraqi or Syrian nationals. The Iraqi government has been repatriating its citizens in batches and enrolling them in rehabilitation programs before reintegrating them into their communities. In the camps, there are also people from around the world who traveled to Iraq and Syria to join ISIS. Kurdish authorities in Rojava have repeatedly urged countries to repatriate their nationals, but many countries are unwilling to take them back due to security concerns.
Rudaw Net
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Has the Damascus leadership begun reconciliation with Syria's minority groups?
Also in Syria Syrian forces detain 20 from Suwayda after forum participation: Monitor New batch of Damascus-SDF prisoners to be exchanged Sunday: Advisor Syria says working to repair Tishreen Dam Syria's first Kurdish education minister works to bridge gaps with Rojava A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The new leadership in Damascus is exerting efforts to mend fences with Syria's Druze community, weeks after the latter's spiritual leaders accused the new Syrian government of being 'extremist in every sense of the word.' The stated-run Syrian news agency (SANA) on Thursday reported that Damascus's newly-appointed Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra on Sunday 'received a delegation from the Rijal al-Karama (Men of Diginity) Movement, led by Sheikh Laith al-Bal'ous.' The Rijal al-Karama (Men of Dignity) Movement was founded in 2013 by Laith al-Bal'ous's father, Sheikh Abu Fahad Waheed al-Bal'ous, in Syria's southern Druze-majority province of Suwayda. The group opposed the compulsory military service imposed by the regime of toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad regime. Following a swift offensive, a coalition of rebel groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa - on December 8 toppled the regime of president Bashar al-Assad. Sharaa was in late January appointed as Syria's interim President, vowing to form an 'inclusive transitional government that would reflect Syria's diversity,' hold "free and fair elections" and preserve Syria's "civil peace" and territorial unity. After the fall of Assad, the Rijal al-Karama Movement became one of the largest armed groups in Suwayda, playing a key role in protecting the local population in the Druze-majority province, ensuring security, and organizing local militias to safeguard the region from external threats and internal corruption. On Sunday as well, SANA reported that Defense Minister Abu Qasra received 'a group of officers from the Veterans' Association of Suwayda.' Abu Qasra's meetings with Druze community dignitaries notably coincided with similar meetings by Suwayda Governor, Mustafa al-Bakur. SANA on Sunday reported that Bakur led an official delegation to visit the Syrian Druze communities top spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari at his Qanawat headquarters 'to congratulate him on the Eid al-Fitr holiday,' the celebration of the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The state-run Syrian news agency quoted the Druze leader as stating, 'We have confidence in governor Dr. Mustafa al-Bakur who is the link between us and the government in Damascus." SANA further cited Hajari as urging officials in Syrian state institutions to 'address obstacles in a way that serves the public interest.' He also highlighted the importance of governmental and societal oversight 'to build a strong and balanced nation.' The Suwayda governor Bakur additionally met with other two spiritual leaders of Syria's Druze community, Youssef Jarbou and Hammoud al-Hannawi at their headquarters as well. The state-run news agency also reported that Bakur visited the Bostra, Horan, and Jabal al-Arab Orthodox Archdiocese and met with Metropolitan Archbishop Antonios Saad. 'During the meeting, the importance of Syrian unity, equality in citizenship, and brotherhood among all components of society was emphasized,' SANA said. Why this matters? The Syrian Druze community's top leader in mid-March Hajari slammed the current government in Damascus as "extremist in every sense of the word" and 'wanted by international [courts of] justice." He then denied reports that a deal had been struck between Syria's Druze community and the Damascus leadership. Dealing with the new Syrian leadership is something the Druze community cannot 'approach with leniency,' stressing that 'there is no entente or understanding with the current government in Damascus' and that 'we are working for the interest of our sect, and every sect [in Syria] is strong in its men, cadres, and national ideology.' Hajari's mid-March remarks notably came hours after Syria's interim President Sharaa approved a 53-article constitutional declaration that centers on Islamic jurisprudence, stipulates that the country's president must be a Muslim, and sets a five-year transitional period of the country. It also maintains the name of the country as the Syrian 'Arab' Republic. The constitutional declaration additionally grants Sharaa exclusive executive power – effectively abolishing the post of prime minister - the authority to appoint one-third of the legislature, and the ability to appoint judges to the constitutional court, which is the body that can hold him accountable. The interim constitution then sparked much criticism from Syria's Kurds, Druze, Christians, as well as international rights groups who warned that it consolidates power in the hands of the president and risks entrenching 'authoritarian control,' and censured the exclusion of Syria's ethnic and religious components from the drafting process. Amid tensions with the new leadership in Damascus, a delegation of Druze religious elders from Syria in mid-March crossed into Israel for the first religious pilgrimage in more than 50 years, since the creation of Israel in 1948. Around 100 Druze sheikhs from villages on the slope of Mount Hermon in Syria, overlooked by the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, visited shrines including sites. The clerics crossed the armistice line between Syria and Israel in the Golan Heights and headed to northern Israel on board three buses escorted by military vehicles. They then headed to the tomb of Nabi Shuayb near Tiberias in the Galilee - the most important religious site for the Druze. The visit came weeks after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in early March underscored that 'Israel has strong ties with the Druze,' and urged 'the new rulers in Damascus' to 'respect the rights of minorities, including the Druze.' What's next? The apparent rapprochement between the Damascus leadership and Syria's Druze community comes only days after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Rojava and Damascus-affiliated forces on Thursday began the process of swapping nearly 250 prisoners. The swap came after the SDF and Damascus struck a key deal on Tuesday to exchange all prisoners and keep the SDF-affiliated internal security forces (Asayish) in Aleppo's predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood. Prior to that in early March, SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syria's interim President Sharaa signed a landmark agreement on Monday to 'integrate all civil and military institutions in northeast Syria [Rojava] under the administration of the Syrian state, including border crossings, the [Qamishli International] Airport, and oil and gas fields.' The deal emphasized that 'the Kurdish community is indigenous to the Syrian state, which ensures this community's right to citizenship and all of its constitutional rights.' As the new Syrian leadership's efforts to build bridges with the Kurds and now Druze community seem to be underway, similar initiatives may well be launched by Damascus to mend fences with other religious and ethnic components in Syria, namely the Christians and the Alawites. This is especially possible in light of the international pressure on the Syrian government to uphold the rights of Syria's minorities or face delays in the much-needed sanctions relief. A European Union official in late February warned Damascus that eased EU sanctions would be reinstated if the situation in the country does not progress in the 'right direction.' The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice President, Kaja Kallas, then elaborated that 'any [new] government formed [in Syria] must be inclusive, encompassing the [country's] various [ethnic and religious] groups.' She warned that if things 'do not head in the right direction, we are ready to reimpose the waived sanctions.' The most delicate rapprochement for Damascus will probably be with Syria's Alawite community. The Assad family, which ruled Syria from 1970 to 2024, notably descends from the Alawite religious sect. In early March, violence broke out in the Alawite-majority coastal areas of western Syria after loyalists of ousted Syrian president Assad launched attacks on security forces affiliated with the new Syrian leadership. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) then reported that around 1,500 people, mostly Alawite civilians, have been killed in the violence. The UK-based war monitor added that most casualties were caused by government or government-affiliated forces Global human rights watchdog Amnesty International on Thursday censured the 'mass killings' recorded in Syria's Alawite-majority coastal areas in March, accusing Damascus of perpetrating a 'war crime' against the minority group and warning of further 'atrocities' if accountability is not enforced. Amnesty stated that 'the Syrian government must ensure that the perpetrators of a wave of mass killings targeting Alawite civilians in coastal areas [west of Syria] are held accountable,' adding that its investigations concluded that 32 of the killings specifically 'targeted at the Alawite minority sect and were unlawful.'
Rudaw Net
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Syrian forces detain 20 from Suwayda after forum participation: Monitor
Also in Syria New batch of Damascus-SDF prisoners to be exchanged Sunday: Advisor Syria says working to repair Tishreen Dam Syria's first Kurdish education minister works to bridge gaps with Rojava Kurdish forces launch anti-ISIS operation in Syria detention camp A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Damascus-affiliated security forces have detained 20 civil and political activists from southern Syria's Druze-majority Suwayda province following their participation in a forum organized by an alliance of political groups, a war monitor reported on Sunday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said that 'the detainees were taken to a security branch, and their fate remains unknown' after attending the Tamasok (Solidarity) forum in Damascus, while en-route to the northern Raqqa province to 'participate in another event.' Tamasok, also known as the Syrian Equal Citizenship Alliance, was launched in mid-March during a press conference in Damascus. The alliance includes various civil and political entities, among them the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). 'The goal [of the alliance] is to organize society in all political and social aspects and to promote a culture of peace among all Syrian communities,' Afram Ishak, the SDC's deputy co-chair, stated at the time. The Observatory also reported that Syrian state security forces arbitrarily arrested 'four young men' in the Alawite-majority coastal Latakia province on March 14. '[They] took them to an unknown destination, with no information regarding their fate or the charges pressed against them,' the monitor said. Damascus has come under heightened domestic and international scrutiny following the government's violent crackdown on an insurgency by Bashar al-Assad loyalists along Syria's west coast in early March. The crackdown left at least 1,700 people dead—mostly civilians—according to the Observatory. In mid-March, Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a 53-article constitutional declaration that centers on Islamic jurisprudence, grants unchecked powers to the president, mandates that the president must be Muslim, and outlines a five-year transitional period. It also retains Syria's official name as the Syrian "Arab" Republic. Sharaa appointed a 23-member transitional cabinet on March 29—without a prime minister—that includes four ministers from Syria's minority communities. The move came more than three months after his Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) forces marched on Damascus and toppled Assad's regime. Moreover, political parties representing Syria's minority communities were excluded from the appointment process. The Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) denounced the newly formed government a day after its announcement, calling it 'exclusionary' and 'failing' to reflect Syria's diversity while emphasizing that it would not recognize or abide by its decisions. Druze and Christian communities have also expressed deep mistrust toward Damascus and rejected the interim constitution.
Rudaw Net
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
US congressman urges for protection of Syrian Kurds
Also in Syria More Kurds return to Afrin after Damascus-SDF deal: Local source Canada urges 'meaningful implementation' of Damascus-SDF deal UN encourages US, Turkey to support nationwide ceasefire in Syria Latakia governor blames Assad loyalists for civilian massacres A+ A- WASHINGTON DC - The United States must ensure that the interests of Kurds in Syria are protected with the deal between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces a 'good start' towards a united Syria, a member of the House of Representatives said on Wednesday. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi signed a landmark agreement on Monday to integrate the SDF into the Syrian state apparatus. The agreement recognizes the Kurds as an integral part of Syria, includes a countrywide ceasefire, and stipulates the return of displaced Syrians to their hometowns. 'It's a good start for now, but we have to understand that we got to protect that Kurds as well. I want to make sure that their interests are protected, but right now, it's a good start,' Republican Abraham Hamadeh of Arizona told Rudaw. Hamadeh, whose parents are from Syria and has Kurdish ancestry, stressed that Washington 'has a vital role in protecting our allies like the Kurds, who were there with us against the fight against ISIS [Islamic State].' The US is the primary backer of the SDF, who fought the lion's share of the battle to drive ISIS out of Syria and arrested thousands of the group's fighters. The Kurdish-led force holds around 10,000 ISIS prisoners and more than 40,000 people, mostly wives and children of ISIS militants, at the al-Hol camp in Hasaka. The SDF is the de facto army of Rojava. The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), which serves as the SDF's political wing, told Rudaw on Tuesday that the deal was mediated by international actors, mainly the US. Following a swift offensive, a coalition of rebel groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - headed by Sharaa - on December 8 toppled the Bashar al-Assad regime. Sharaa was in late January appointed as Syria's interim President. After his appointment, Sharaa vowed to uphold the rights of all ethnic and religious groups. However, the international community has repeatedly censured the new Damascus leadership for its treatment of Syria's minority groups.
Rudaw Net
13-03-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Canada urges 'meaningful implementation' of Damascus-SDF deal
Also in Syria UN encourages US, Turkey to support nationwide ceasefire in Syria Latakia governor blames Assad loyalists for civilian massacres Rojava administration hails 'historic' Damascus-SDF agreement US, EU welcome Damascus-SDF deal A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Canada on Wednesday welcomed a recent landmark deal between the new Syrian administration and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) but urged its implementation to ensure progress. 'Canada welcomes the agreement reached on March 10 between the interim authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This is a potential step toward greater stability and improved conditions for Syrians. However, meaningful implementation will be key to ensuring lasting progress,' said a statement from Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi signed a landmark agreement on Monday to integrate the SDF into the Syrian state apparatus. The agreement recognizes the Kurds as an integral part of Syria, includes a countrywide ceasefire, and stipulates the return of displaced Syrians to their hometowns. The landmark agreement between the SDF and Damascus has been welcomed by many regional and Western countries, including Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hoped on Tuesday that all eight articles of the agreement, which includes the handover of an airport, oilfields and border crossings to Damascus, are fully implemented. The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), which serves as the SDF's political wing, told Rudaw on Tuesday that the deal was mediated by international actors, mainly the US. Canada has supplied over $100 million in aid to Syria since rebels led by the Islamist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime in December. The aid includes 'food, protection services, water, sanitation and hygiene services, and health services,' according to the foreign ministry statement. It announced a new $84 million aid package on Wednesday. 'Canada will be easing sanctions to allow funds to be sent through certain banks in the country, such as Syria's Central Bank,' the statement added, noting that the sanctions were used against the Assad regime and their removal would 'contribute to a swift recovery for Syria.' Since 2015, Canada has hosted over 44,000 Syrian refugees, according to government data.
