Latest news with #Manbij
Al Arabiya
5 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Kurdish-led SDF not complying with Syria integration deal: Turkish source
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is not acting in line with an accord it signed with Syria's government this year to join the country's state institutions, and the recent clashes between the group and government forces damages Syria's unity, a Turkish Defense Ministry source said on Thursday. Turkey views the US-backed SDF as a terrorist organization and has repeatedly said it expects the group to abide by the deal to disarm and integrate into the Syrian state apparatus. 'It has not escaped our attention that the SDF terrorist organization's voice has become louder, empowered by the clashes in Syria's south,' the source told reporters at a briefing in Ankara, in a reference to the fighting between Druze and Bedouin forces last month. 'The SDF terrorist organization's attacks in the outskirts of Manbij and Aleppo against the Syrian government in recent days damage Syria's political unity and territorial integrity,' the person added.
Asharq Al-Awsat
7 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
US Envoy Urges Calm and Dialogue to Resolve Syria Disputes
The US special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, on Monday voiced concern over fresh outbreaks of violence in Sweida in southern Syria and Manbij in the northeast, calling for dialogue to resolve disputes. 'Disturbing violence erupted yesterday in Sweida, and in Manbij. Diplomacy is the best way to stop violence and build a peaceful, lasting solution,' Barrack wrote on X. 'The path ahead belongs to Syrians — urging all sides to uphold calm and resolve differences through dialogue, not bloodshed. Syria deserves stability. Syrians deserve peace,' he added. Meanwhile, Syrian authorities reopened a humanitarian corridor in Busra al-Sham in southern Daraa province after securing the area from what state media described as 'mutinous al-Hijri gangs,' who reportedly violated a ceasefire in Sweida the day before. According to the state-run SANA news agency, the armed groups attacked internal security forces at several points and shelled villages in Sweida's western countryside, leaving several security personnel dead or wounded. The Interior Ministry had temporarily closed the crossing on Sunday, citing concerns for civilian safety, SANA reported. The ministry said security forces repelled the attacks on positions in Tal al-Hadid, Rimat Hazm, and Walgha, retaking control and restoring calm to preserve the ceasefire. Relief and humanitarian aid resumed delivery to Sweida through Busra al-Sham on Monday as part of government efforts to meet residents' needs. On Sunday, Sweida's internal security chief, Ahmad al-Dalati, said armed groups had launched deadly attacks in the province's countryside before security forces regained control. A commander in Sweida's 'Joint Operations Room' claimed coordination was underway with US and Israeli counterparts to secure international protection and establish an investigative committee into last month's violence. He described ties with Israel as 'positive,' calling it 'an important player in the region' and crediting it with repelling attacks on Sweida. 'We are asking for its protection,' he said. The remarks were made to Asharq al-Awsat after the first meeting of the Syrian investigative committee into the recent Sweida violence, which erupted between local and tribal armed groups. Tareq al-Maghoush, a prominent figure in the local opposition, reiterated rejection of the Syrian government's investigative committee, citing both factional and popular opposition. He said Sweida's 'Operations Room' had barred the committee from operating in the province, branding it 'illegitimate,' and would inform its members to leave 'politely.' The 'Operations Room,' composed of local Druze factions, was formed in December 2024 at the launch of the 'Deterrence of Aggression' campaign, which it claims expelled the Assad regime from several provinces, starting in Aleppo and reaching the outskirts of Damascus. Maghoush, who says he works under the spiritual leadership of Druze cleric Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, said the Sheikh personally approved the creation of the 'Operations Room' and tasked him with various files. A ceasefire agreement on July 20 ended a week-long conflict between Druze fighters and tribal militants. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said at least 814 people were killed and over 903 wounded in Sweida between July 13 and 20. The toll includes civilians—among them women, children, and medical staff—as well as fighters from tribal armed groups and local factions outside government control. Members of the Syrian opposition's internal security forces and defense ministry were also among the casualties. The violence displaced 176,000 people, according to United Nations data. Shelling reached central Damascus, hitting sites near the defense ministry, the presidential palace compound, and the national library. On Thursday, the Syrian justice ministry announced the formation of an official committee to 'investigate the causes and circumstances' behind the violence, look into 'assaults and violations,' and refer perpetrators to the judiciary. But protests broke out the next day in Sweida, with demonstrators demanding an independent international investigation and rejecting the Syrian committee. Some protesters waved the Israeli flag. Judge Hatim al-Nassan, head of the official inquiry, said during the committee's first meeting that they were open to engaging with the people of Sweida, calling them 'an essential component of the country.' But he warned that raising the Israeli flag on Syrian soil 'is a crime that must be punished.' The committee said it would immediately begin meetings with officials in Sweida and Daraa, as well as those affected by the violence. According to Syria TV, the committee insisted that an international inquiry was unnecessary as long as the Syrian state remained capable of investigating on its own.
The National
03-08-2025
- Politics
- The National
Syrian army and Kurdish-led SDF clash after talks falter
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces fired rockets overnight at Syrian army positions near the Euphrates and tried to infiltrate the area, the Damascus authorities said on Sunday, in the first clashes since US-sponsored talks between the two sides faltered last month. The Syrian government and the US-backed SDF have blamed each other for starting the hostilities. Tension escalated after President Ahmad Al Shara and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi failed to meet under US auspices in July. The discussions were aimed at bringing the SDF under national army control and initiating a peaceful government takeover of areas under Kurdish control. The official Syrian news agency said four soldiers and three civilians had been wounded in Manbij, north-eastern Syria. The army has 'repulsed an infiltration attempt' by the SDF, after a rocket had been fired into the area, it said. The Syrian army said it was dealing with the attack. The SDF said that after pro-government troops had started the fighting by shelling residential areas, its own troops used their 'legitimate right to respond'. It accused the government of 'seeking escalation' by moving soldiers to the front lines. Solving the Kurdish issue is a key to stability, especially after waves of sectarian tension in the Alawite and Druze areas of Syria over recent months. Extending government control to the east of the Euphrates, which is mostly under the control of the SDF, has been a main goal of the government since the removal of Bashar Al Assad in December. Thomas Barrack, the US envoy to Syria, supports this quest and criticised the SDF for not thinking in nation-building terms. The SDF's position as Washington's main ally in Syria has been undermined after the US began establishing ties with Mr Al Shara's government in May, shifting its priority to stability in the country. In June, the US began lifting sanctions on Syria and revoked the terrorist designation from HTS. However, the SDF has resisted, demanding a federal system and keeping the forces as a unit in any new Syrian army formations while preserving its organisational structure. But Damascus has opposed this. An official in the SDF, who requested anonymity, said despite Mr Barrack's criticism, the SDF retains strong support in US security circles, especially for countering ISIS, a role the Damascus authorities would struggle to fill. The government is controlled by HTS, a splinter group formerly linked to Al Qaeda and lead by Mr Al Shara. The official highlighted a recent government military campaign in the mostly Druze province of Sweida as 'hurting Al Shara's counterterrorism credentials' in Washington. This year, the Pentagon allocated $130 million for groups in Syria with which it has linked up in counter-ISIS operations, mainly the SDF, in its 2026 budget. US backing for the SDF has prevented Mr Al Shara from consolidating his control over the entire country since the downfall of the former regime in December. A March 10 agreement between Mr Al Shara and Mr Abdi ran into problems after the SDF convened a conference of Kurdish political groups in April that demanded Syria be governed under a federal system.
LBCI
03-08-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Syria's defense ministry and Kurdish-led SDF trade blame over attack in northern Syria
Syria's defense ministry and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces traded blame over an attack in the northern city of Manbij on Saturday. The incident has cast a shadow over a landmark integration deal they signed in March, aimed at cooperating on security arrangements in areas where both forces operate. The defense ministry, according to the state news agency SANA, accused the SDF of launching a rocket barrage on one of the army's outposts in the city's countryside. As a result, four troops and three civilians were injured. The ministry described the attack as irresponsible and without justification. Reuters
Reuters
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Syria's defence ministry and Kurdish-led SDF trade blame over attack in northern Syria
Aug 2 (Reuters) - Syria's defence ministry and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces traded blame over an attack in the northern city of Manbij on Saturday, casting a shadow over a landmark integration deal they signed in March. The defence ministry accused the SDF of carrying out a rocket barrage on one of the army's outposts in the city's countryside, injuring four troops and three civilians, according to the state news agency SANA. It described the attack as irresponsible and without justification. The U.S.-backed SDF said in a statement they were responding to "an unprovoked artillery assault targeting civilian-populated areas with more than ten shells" from factions operating within Syrian government ranks. The statement made no mention of any casualties. In March, the SDF signed a deal with the Damascus Islamist-led government to join Syria's state institutions. The deal aims to stitch back together a country fractured by 14 years of war, paving the way for Kurdish-led forces that hold a quarter of Syria to merge with Damascus, along with regional Kurdish governing bodies. However, the deal did not specify how the SDF will be merged with Syria's armed forces. The SDF has previously said its forces must join as a bloc, while Damascus wants them to join as individuals. A Turkish defence ministry source said last month the SDF must prove it is adhering to the agreement with the Syrian government. Ankara deems the SDF an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party. "While we reaffirm our commitment to respecting the current de-escalation arrangements, we call on the relevant authorities in the Syrian government to take responsibility and bring the undisciplined factions under their control," the SDF said in its statement.
