Recent news:STG sets up roadblocks on the roads leading to Suwayda, pursuant to the ceasefire agreement.
Remaining tribals in Suwayda governorate launch a last-ditch attack on Suwayda city.
Tribals enter some of the city's northwest areas. They suffer heavy casualties and retreat from the city on the same day.
Straggler tribals launch a few attacks on Druze villages here and there, nothing significant.
Overall ceasefire holds up after that. STG prevents further entry of tribals and their numbers keep dwindling.
STG releases their report on the massacres of Alawites in March of this year. They say that they aren't directly responsible.
Saudi announces they will buy a bunch of property in Syria.
Israeli and Syrian officials meet in Paris. A second meeting in Baku was cancelled.
Accusations that the STG is doing a soft siege on Suwayda governorate and worsening the humanitarian situation.
Turkey/SNA starts threatening the SDF and launches a few attacks against them in Deir Hafer and Tishreen dam.
Links:t.me/Medmannews - Well known channel (Egyptian owner). Posts frequently about MENA
t.me/Middle_East_Spectator - Iranian owner
t.me/Suriyak_maps - Posts maps/latest news. Less prone to hype/hysteria but slower.
https://nitter.poast.org/SAMSyria0 - Local Syrian army soldier. Used to post in Arabic. (Account deleted. RIP)
https://nitter.poast.org/WarMonitorshttps://nitter.poast.org/bosni94https://nitter.poast.org/Sy_intelligencehttps://nitter.poast.org/sayed_ridhahttps://syria.liveuamap.com >>2414280Jolani trying to let the SNA and SDF fight to the death?
what instigated this wave btw?
>>2414297SNA is supposed to have already been integrated into the STG and the new Syrian Army. There's no reason for Julani to be against them.
I think that the SNA units are only formally integrated into the STG's army, but in practice (since in general the STG is still a mess) they're autonomous and still take orders from Turkey.
At least that's the best way to explain the recent Tishreen dam and Deir Hafer clashes, otherwise it'd be the STG attacking the SDF.
Update - Our forces exercise their right to self-defense against attacks on Deir Hafer. The Syrian Democratic Forces' media center rejects the allegations made by the "Media and Communications Department of the Syrian government's Ministry of Defense" regarding its positions being subjected to an alleged attack by our forces. On the contrary, "undisciplined factions" operating within the ranks of the Syrian government forces are the ones who continue their provocations and repeated attacks on the contact areas in the Deir Hafer area, as happened yesterday evening, Saturday, with artillery shelling carried out by these factions on populated areas with more than ten shells, without justification. Our forces exercised their full right to self-defense and respond to the sources of fire. The "Ministry of Defense"'s attempts to distort the facts and mislead public opinion do not serve security and stability, at a time when our forces are exercising the utmost self-restraint against the repeated attacks and provocations of these factions, who have continued to dig trenches and transfer militants over the past period, confirming their intentions for escalation. While we emphasize the need to respect the ceasefire, we call on the relevant agencies in the Syrian government to assume their responsibilities and control the undisciplined factions operating under their control.
Syrian Democratic Forces Media Center, August 3, 2025
>>2414291>>2414280So have begun.
>>2414306>SNA units are only formally integrated into the STG's army, but in practice (since in general the STG is still a mess) they're autonomous and still take orders from TurkeySO everyone taking orders from nato, basically.
I know this xitter account is low hanging fruit when it comes to cringe, but is no one concerned by how quickly the ISIS flag got normalised in Syrian society?
The usual excuse is that the it shows the seal of Muhammad so it's not just an ISIS thing. But it has been well-known for a long time that this particular design is a forgery by the Ottomans meant to pad out their fake Topkapı collection. So even if someone is supposed to be a devout Muslim they wouldn't don it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_of_Muhammad>>2414363>Large numbers of security forces in the julani regime are crypto-ISIS? HTS had some ex-ISIS fighters here and there, but the SNA though was well-known to be filled to the brim with them. Turkey courted a lot of ISIS members around 2016-2019 and offered to get them out of a sinking organisation in exchange for joining the SNA.
And all of those SNA units were integrated into the STG's forces after the fall of Assad, so yeah that sentence isn't wrong.
>>2414306SNA won't integrate because theyre Turkey's fifth column and if Jewlani ever goes against them, they will chimp out at him.
>>2414346It's normalized because Syria is literally a third world shit hole. There's no educated class, bureaucracy, anything. It's guys like this
>>2414372 larping in suits.
The tribals that were fighting against Druze IS Syria now. That's it what has become. Hilarious neolibs think Syria is going to reform into NAFO liberal republic
>>2414346>is no one concerned by how quickly the ISIS flag got normalised in Syrian societyNot really. It was always a NATO proxy to destabilize Syria. We… well,
I knew it ever since ISIS apologized to Israel, which was…
>Monday 28 August 2017Oof. Well, even before that both Turkey and Israel gave ISIS fighters medical aid.
>>24144142016 with
>efraim halevythey to be "humane". right, like they are with Gaza now.
it's a shame people can't see through these lies.
>>2414679 (samefag)
1st: Tribals fighting in the hill this morning.
2nd: Druze in Tel Hadid.
3rd: Druze militant on abandoned police car.
>>2414684 (samefag)
More vids of Druze on the hill.
There are still ongoing fighting to the west of the hill towards the direction of Thaala.
>>2414684>>2414709>>2414714how long before they ask direct turkish intervention.
>Arabs are safer in Rojava than in ISISyriasure budy
ask no ypg/sfd/pkk western supporter how come that being ethnic minorities in North-Eastern they are the sole governmental officers without coercion, use of force, and violence >>2415044guy invented his very own reddit spacing.
Sharaa government’s Suweida catastrophe: Druze fully alienated from post-revolution Syria, Israel’s ongoing aggression unleashedIn bombing the Syrian Defence Ministry building in Damascus, and also outside the presidential palace, along with killing 15 Syrian troops and several civilians, Israel was only escalating what it has been doing since December 8, the day the Syrian people overthrew Israel’s preferred leader.
Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes, possibly over 1000, since December 8. In the first few weeks, Israel destroyed some 90 percent of Syria’s strategic weaponry, in its largest air war ever, while occupying a significant part of southern Syria beyond the already-occupied Golan Heights, in “Syrian Golan” (Quneitra province). While airstrikes have returned with some intensity approximately monthly, in the meantime aggression takes place on the ground, away from headlines: taking over more land, destroying farmland, abducting “suspected terrorists,” attacks into Daraa and Damascus provinces, seizure of south Syria’s water sources and the like. It has not let up. Since February, Israel also banned the Syrian army from entering south of Damascus, ie, Quneitra, Daraa and Suweida provinces, with the threat of bombing.
So, while the latest aggression goes under the title of “protecting the Druze,” this background helps us understand that this is merely one of Israel’s excuses. Since the beginning, Israeli leaders like Netanyahu, foreign minister Gideon Saar, defence minister Israel Katz and others have called the new Syrian leadership “jihadists,” “terrorists,” “extremists,” “al-Qaeda” and so on. Both arch-fascist Ben-Gvir and Israel’s Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Amachai Chikli have now called for assassinating Sharaa; Chikli called the Syrian government an ‘Islamo-Nazi regime’ and ‘Hamas’. Arch-fascist Smotrich has stated that conflict with Syria will end only when Syria is “partitioned.” Israel has said it wants Syria split into “cantons,” and requests the US keep its forces in east Syria, and that Russia keep its air and naval bases in west Syria, as part of dividing up the land.
Now, all that said, there was of course a huge crisis in the southern Druze-dominated province of Suweida, and while for Israel it is an excuse, that does not alter the fact that real crises, and how a government handles them, can be critical in terms of the political facilitation of an aggressor. And while much can be said of the antics of some more extreme Druze leaders, or of Druze revenge attacks against Suweida’s Bedouins – all of which will be discussed below – the main story here is the hellish massacre of the Druze population in Suweida – even Israel’s outrages must be seen within the context of the events that politically facilitated its actions.
It did not need to be this way, especially given the goodwill shown to Damascus by the majority of the Druze leadership, who continually tried to reach agreement with the government on compromise plans to integrate the minority-dominated province, based on locally-controlled security arrangements, and who continually rejected Israeli “protection” and condemned Israeli attacks. But Sharaa’s apparent decision in the midst of the crisis to attempt to impose a military solution, and the resulting horrific crimes imposed on the Druze by government-led fighters – whether planned or not, whether due to state loss of control or state-led sectarian instrumentalisation – has almost certainly resulted in the complete alienation of the Druze minority (like the Alawite minority since March) from the post-Assad polity, from what the Syrian majority still see as their revolution. It also resulted in a total defeat for the government’s position, and an enhancement of both Israel’s position and that of the most pro-Israeli wing of the Druze, as the population is now more united than ever against the Sharaa government.
While there is a great deal of dust to settle, and the “fog of war” makes countless claims and counter-claims still unclear, this is my general understanding of what happened.
Background to the crisis in Suweida
The Druze in Suweida have their own sect-based military formations, which arose during the Syrian revolution; while for the most part they were anti-Assad, they were also strongly independent of the Syrian rebels; their focus was on defence of Suweida, and resisting being recruited by Assad to fight his war. Some parts of the Druze leadership and militia were more pro-rebel than others, some more pro-Assad, but always independent. In a sense, analogous to the Kurdish-led SDF in the northeast, with the difference though that the SDF included large numbers of Arabs and somewhat reflected the multi-ethnic nature of the region, whereas the Druze militia were explicitly Druze. This is not a criticism, but it is important going forward, because while Druze account for 90 percent of the population, their militia do not represent the non-Druze in the province.
Following the overthrow of Assad, the Druze militia have guarded their autonomy, rejected simply dissolving their militia into the new Syrian army, while agreeing in principle to eventual integration; as with the SDF, the question is on what terms. As with the SDF, the government rejects incorporating the Druze militia as ‘blocs’ within the army, but rather wants them to dissolve and for their members to join the army as individuals, which is theoretically what happened with all the mainstream rebel formations in January, including HTS. The problem for minority groups however is that the army and the government itself remains overwhelmingly dominated by the Sunni Arab majority, and, given the kinds of violations which have occurred (such as the large-scale massacre of Alawites in March following an Assadist coup and massacre), minorities need to feel the new Syrian polity is more inclusive than it currently is, and hence the terms of integration are important.
During clashes in late April and early May between Druze security forces and armed jihadi gangs in two outer suburbs of Damascus, Druze militia in Suweida clamoured to enter the fray to protect the Druze, but were attacked along the road north by armed Bedouin fighters. Following these events, the government reached an accord with the majority of the Druze religious and military leaderships, that the government’s public security and police would be activated in Suweida to look after internal security, but would consist only of local people. It was also suggested that a new brigade of the Syrian army could be formed at some stage for local Druze militia to join, but nothing happened due to the differences noted above. In the meantime, the Druze leadership remained opposed to the Syrian army or public security from outside deploying in the province, except to maintain security on the Suweida-Damascus highway.
In the background was a long-term low-level conflict between the Druze and the Sunni Bedouin people in the province, over trade routes, land-use and many similar ongoing issues. These are two very useful background articles.
With the Bedouin minority socially and economically marginalised, the lack of any government security forces – banned by both the Druze leaderships and by Israel for different reasons – meant they were also unrepresented in the region’s security forces, the Druze militia being for Druze. This left their region a kind of lawless no-man’s land. Meanwhile, the government abandoned its obligation to maintain security on the highway in practice.
Onset of armed clashes
Hence the background to the current disaster began with a seemingly random crime, when a Bedouin gang seized a Druze truck on the highway. In response, Druze militia kidnapped eight Bedouins as hostages, from the in the al-Maqhous quarter of Suweida city (although ‘Bedouin’ often denotes ‘nomad,’ the majority in Syria are settled), an escalatory move given that the issue was not with city Bedouin at the time. Bedouin then responded in kind. This soon led to serious clashes and killings.
After two days of clashes, amid calls for the government to do something, it sent in General Security and army units on Monday July 14, defying the ban imposed by the Druze and by Israel. What happened next is disputed. According to Druze sources, government forces took the side of the Bedouin in the clashes. SOHR reporting supports this view. According to many Syrians, as the government security forces entered to separate the sides, they were ambushed by one of the Druze militia, the Suweida Military Council (SMC), associated with Sheikh Hikmet al-Hijri, one of the three top Druze religious leaders, whose forces are most associated with former Assadist elements, and who has consistently called for Israeli intervention and opposed cooperation with the Syrian government. Some 18 government troops were killed on Monday morning. A third version has it that, yes, the Druze attacked, but it was not only Hijri’s forces; rather, all Druze militia still rejected the government security presence and tried to resist their entry. A version of this is actually cited by Laith al-Bahlous, the most pro-government Druze leader, and Hijri’s main political opponent, yet he acquits Hijri’s forces of these accusations, claiming that the Syrian government told Druze leaders of its intention to enter Suweida, but they did not convey this to the people; therefore, armed Druze fighters, coming across government troops, mistakenly assumed them to be invading so they attacked them.
I don’t have a solid opinion on this, and there may have been a mixture of all these factors. But it cannot be disputed that government security forces were ambushed as they arrived, before being involved in any violence, because Druze fighters posted images of themselves standing over the bodies of the troops, and marching others away in their underwear. These images enraged Syrians, leading to demonstrations around Syria calling for revenge, which included ugly sectarian incitement against the Druze.
The conflict spread to Suweida city, between Druze fighters and Bedouins in al-Maqhous. Again, who shot first is disputed; some report it that Hijri’s militia launched an attack on the neighbourhood to subdue it, while others simply report clashes amid the mutual hostage taking. Either way, it led to Bedouin fighters from the countryside attacking the city in support of al-Maqhous, and also attacking smaller Druze towns. At the same time, in response to what they considered the ambush of their troops by Hijri’s forces, the government massively mobilised troops and began a siege of the city, attacking with tanks, mortars and heavy weaponry. And so, if the government and Bedouin forces were not already one, as claimed by many Druze, they effectively became one in the process. This was a fateful, destructive and unnecessary decision, which I will comment on below. Israel began bombing Syrian tanks on Monday, then stepped it up on Tuesday, killing at least 15 government troops, further fueling sectarian rage around the country.
After some 24 hours of conflict, the government security forces and the main Druze religious and military leaderships, including Hijri, the other two main religious leaders, Yousef Jarbou and Hamoud al-Hanawi, along with Laith al-Balous, associated with the powerful Men of Dignity militia which fought the Assad regime, signed a peace agreement on Tuesday. Fighting would cease, “the entry of the Interior and Defence Ministries’ forces in order to impose control over the security and military centres and to secure the province” was “welcomed,” Druze militia were called upon to “organise their weapons under the supervision of state institutions,” and the state was called on to activate its institutions “in cooperation with the province’s people.”
What happened next is again disputed. Many reports claim that, 30 minutes after the meeting ended, Hijri repudiated his own signature, claiming it was made under pressure, and called on Druze to rise up and attack government forces, and for “external Druze” (ie in Israel) to come to their aid. According to one source, Hijri’s forces “launched simultaneous ambushes against government forces across a dozen locations in the city, timed perfectly with renewed Israeli airstrikes.” The obvious coincidence between Hijri’s and Israel’s actions demonstrates what gave a local Druze leader the kind of confidence to take on the government’s army and security forces. However, Druze sources on the ground, such as this harrowing account of the ensuing massacre, claim that after their militia allowed in government forces, they at first were peaceful but then launched their all-out horrific attack on Druze civilians, and this is what caused the Druze militia to renew the fight, while other Druze sources claim the government forces never stopped attacking.
It seems clear the fighting did stop for some time. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which tends to have an anti-government bias in its reporting, reported that “the clashes reached an end, after a ceasefire agreement … SOHR activists have reported seeing tanks and armoured vehicles, which have recently been deployed in Al-Suwaida city, withdrawing from the city … Meanwhile, security forces have been deployed in the city’s major streets, amid tense calm which comes after two days of fierce clashes that left tens of fatalities.”
Therefore, the question really is whether Hijri’s rejection of the ceasefire and renewal of hostilities took place before the government forces renewed their attack, or only as a result of the government re-unleashing hostilities. While it is impossible from this distance to determine who shot first next, a couple of things are clear. First, it was initially only Hijri who rapidly rejected the agreement. The other leaders, including Jarbou, Hanawi and Bahlous, and other militia groups, did not do so until fighting had clearly resumed and it became a defensive war. On the whole, there has been a clear division within the Druze leaderships all along: Hijri and the SMC reject cooperating with the government, reject integration, and call for Israeli intervention; the other main leaders prefer to try to de-escalate, to reach agreements with the government, to negotiate towards eventual integration, and reject Israeli intervention.
While it is possible that outside observers exaggerate the differences amongst the Druze leadership, it is useful to listen to Bahlous. Here he takes aim at some of the Druze “religious and political leadership” for acting “unilaterally,” supporting Israeli intervention and “attempts at division,” and even goes so far as claim they bear responsibility for the bloodshed. Likewise, Sheikh Yusuf Jarbou, claims the agreement had widespread support, but noted “Yes, there is support for al-Hijri’s position. We do not deny that, and sometimes it may have an effect on the ground. We respect their opinion, and they must respect our opinion and the opinion of he majority.” He claimed that supporters of Hijri’s position “burdened society with many losses because of their refusal to accept this agreement,” and vigorously condemned Israeli air strikes.
<…https://theirantiimperialismandours.com/2025/07/22/sharaa-governments-catastrophic-debacle-in-suweida-full-druze-alienation-from-post-revolution-syria-israel-unleashed-to-step-up-ongoing-aggression/ Kongra Star: We'll exert all our efforts to rescue the missing girls and women taken captive by ISIS
Kongra Star, the umbrella organization of women in North-East Syria, released a statement marking the 11th anniversary of the ISIS genocide against the Yazidi community in the city of Shengal (Sinjar) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
The Kongra Star statement on Sunday includes the following:
“On the 11th anniversary of the Shengal genocide, as Kongra Star we respectfully honor the memory of all the martyrs who were killed by ISIS. To liberate the Yazidi people from the clutches of ISIS gangs, HPG and YJA-STAR fighters headed to Shengal. At the same time, to open a humanitarian corridor, YPG and YPJ fighters also moved toward Shengal. We commemorate with respect and love those fighters who fought against the ISIS occupation and were martyred in the liberation of Shengal.
To liberate the Yazidi people from the clutches of ISIS gangs, HPG and YJA-STAR fighters headed to Shengal. At the same time, to open a humanitarian corridor, YPG and YPJ fighters also moved toward Shengal. We commemorate with respect and love those fighters who fought against the ISIS occupation and were martyred in the liberation of Shengal.
We also pay tribute to our Yazidi people, who have resisted all forms of attacks over the past eleven years. Amid these assaults, we commend their self-administration system, founded upon the ideology and philosophy of Leader Abdullah Öcalan.
Over these eleven years, the developments experienced by our Yazidi people demonstrate the confidence they have built and reveal the strength of their organization. In particular, the organization of women in society, politics, diplomacy, and the military stands as a model of empowerment. Yazidi women organized themselves under the umbrella of TAJÊ and responded to the attacks of occupation, sectarianism, and discrimination against women with unified strength: women are the pioneers of a free future for Shengal. The Yazidi people have also organized themselves across all fields, and today, thanks to this organization, they protect the Yazidi identity.
The brutality of ISIS and the forces behind these gangs have been defeated. History once again shows that no power can prevail against the organized strength of the people. The Yazidi people now possess a profound collective memory and faith, a steadfastness that carries the legacy of Yazidi resistance.
During the massacres, thousands of Yazidi women fell into the hands of ISIS. We, Kongra Star, reaffirm that we will exert all our efforts to rescue the missing girls and women taken captive by ISIS.
We once again honor the Yazidi people, especially Yazidi women, and strongly condemn the genocide committed against them.”
Damascus forces escalate repression against artists
<Damascus-backed forces tortured a musician in Al-Bab, destroyed instruments in Homs, and threatened two Kurdish artists returning from Beirut.
Artists are being obstructed, arrested, beaten, and subjected to torture in regions controlled by the Syrian Interim Government.
Most recently, in the city of Al-Bab, an artist named Omar Khayri was attacked by armed groups affiliated with Damascus while singing at a wedding. The attackers cut Khayri’s hair, wrote on his face, and, claiming that songs were forbidden, tried to force him to sing for the Damascus government.
Similarly, yesterday, the artist Walat Haji Nasir (40) from Afrin (Efrîn) and his brother Mustafa (38) were stopped on 21 July at the “Sewatir” checkpoint on the Homs, Lebanon road while returning from Beirut. Syrian Interim Government forces smashed their musical instruments, insulted the brothers by claiming that “folk dance and music are anti-religious,” and threatened to kill them.
The Haji Nasir brothers filed a complaint in Aleppo, but forces affiliated with the Damascus government responded by threatening to arrest the artists.
Article by Qatari outlet about the recent rise of the tribes' powers after the fall of Assad:
https://www.newarab.com/analysis/syrias-formidable-tribes-fighting-force-be-reckonedOne interesting thing is that there were lots of exiled tribal sheikhs that used to exert only modest influence on their tribes when they were out of the country, but who have now come back and re-asserted themselves.
STG relies a lot on local supportive tribes to keep control on certain territories. While the Assads also used and relied on the tribes a lot, the STG seems to do so more and is also relatively less of a senior partner in their relationship compared to the way the Assads governed, with the tribes having more influence.
The majority of the SDF's Arab population have a tribal affiliation, and most Sheikhs are leaning pro-STG, which is seen by the STG as one of their leverages over SDF.
At the same time, a less charitable assessment is that the reliance on the tribes is bad in the long-term as it turns the country into a feudal-esque mess with a weak central government (remember that lots of pro-STG people justified invading Suwayda under the pretext of centralisation, so this is ironic).
SDF repels an attack on their positions in Deir Hafer area
The Press Center of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported that factions affiliated with the Syrian Transitional Government launched an attack on four of their positions in the village of Al-Imam, located in the Deir Hafer area, at 3:00 a.m. on Monday morning.
The SDF stated that their forces confronted the attack and responded as necessary in defense of their positions and fighters. Clashes ensued and continued for 20 uninterrupted minutes, it added.
“We emphasize that this repeated aggression constitutes a deliberate escalation and poses a serious threat to the stability of the region. We hold the Damascus government fully responsible for this behavior, and reaffirm that our forces are now more prepared than ever to exercise their legitimate right to respond with full force and determination,” SDF said.
Abandoning self-defense in Rojava would expose Kurds to massacre
Awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics for their work on the formation of institutions and their impact on prosperity, Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson explore the future of states, societies, and freedom in their co-authored book The Narrow Corridor. The preface is dedicated to what they describe as one of the greatest humanitarian disasters of our time: the Syrian crisis. In the section titled The Narrow Corridor to Freedom, they write: “For freedom to emerge and thrive, both the state and society must be strong. A strong state is needed to prevent violence, enforce laws, and provide essential public services that enable people to make their own choices. But there must also be a strong and active society, one that can monitor and restrain the state…”
These sentences point to a universal truth that transcends ideological debate. The narrow corridor between the chaos of statelessness and the tyranny of unchecked power now defines the most critical equation shaping the fate of Syria, and more specifically, of Rojava.
Anyone closely following the Syrian crisis can see that the war has entered a new phase. The massacres carried out by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Druze and Alawite villages, the mass attacks in Suwayda (Sweida), and the forced displacement of civilians all reveal that the civil war is far from over and carries an ever-growing risk of deepening further. In his article titled What Does Each Actor Want in Syria?, published by ANF on 30 July 2025, Zeki Bedran describes the situation starkly: “The mentality of HTS remains unchanged no matter how much it is polished. They unleash beheading squads on the people.”
This reality and risk, on which there is broad consensus, also reflects a notable level of political maturity on the part of Rojava’s political leadership, showing that it is neither mistaken nor complacent in its assessments.
The attacks in Suwayda and its surrounding areas following the formation of a provisional government aligned with HTS are not simply acts of terror. They are part of a deliberate strategy aimed at subjugating the Druze population and changing the region’s demographics through fear and violence. While these massacres have drawn condemnation in the United States and Europe, and prompted direct intervention by Israel, Turkey’s efforts to legitimize HTS and its refusal to denounce the atrocities stand out as a clear reflection of a shared mindset.
All of this points to a single, stark truth: If the Kurds in Rojava abandon self-defense, they will be left directly exposed to massacre.
Even the mere discussion of weakening the parameters of self-defense in technical terms, or dissolving the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) under the guise of “integration”, poses a serious risk. It could very well mark the beginning of the end. For this reason, Kurdish diplomacy must step into this new phase with a spirit of courage and determination. At the same time, the Kurdish community must be called upon to remain vigilant. All political actors in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan (Bakur) should understand clearly that any step that weakens Rojava’s defense amounts to a historic act of self-destruction. The fact that the political developments unfolding in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan are running parallel to those in Rojava is no coincidence. Rojava must remain the top priority, because the future of Rojava is, in a broader sense, the future of Kurdistan as a whole.
Indeed, Turkey’s sole geopolitical priority is to leave the Kurds in Rojava without any political status. Ankara’s Syria policy has become unambiguously clear:
1. To strip the Kurds of political status
2. To dismantle the Autonomous Administration
3. To eliminate the SDF
To achieve this objective, Ankara continues both its military occupations on the ground and its diplomatic pressure at the negotiation table. It uses its NATO membership as leverage, placing the gains of the Kurdish people on the bargaining table with the United States and Europe.
Yet the people of Rojava have been governing themselves for over a decade. Built on women’s leadership and organized through communes and councils, this system does not seek to establish a separate state. Rather, it proposes a democratic, decentralized model for Syria. Observers familiar with the Middle East widely acknowledge the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria as a viable and constructive model. Turkey’s imposed disarmament is not just a call for military weakening, it is an attempt to dismantle that model entirely.
Today, the most critical diplomatic axis for Syria’s future is centered in Paris. France is not only involved from a humanitarian perspective but also plays an active role in the security of the Mediterranean, in migration policy, and in the strategic energy routes of what is historically referred to as “Le Levant”, covering Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, and partly the Hatay region. The planned Paris talks between Damascus and the SDF-Autonomous Administration were postponed due to pressure from Turkey. For Kurdish diplomacy, Paris now represents both a vital opportunity and a race against time.
Throughout both recent and distant history, France has played an enduring role, at times supportive, at other times damaging, across all parts of Kurdistan. Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, France has once again assumed this role in a serious and active manner. At this critical historical juncture, it is worth remembering how Kurdish diplomacy, shaped by young and determined hearts, emerged, particularly during and after the Kobane resistance, through its impact on public opinion and its development of political relations.
The clearest outcome of the negotiations unfolding in the shadow of Paris is this: there is a concerted effort to leave the Kurds without political status. The only way to counter this strategy is to maintain self-defense and to intensify diplomatic pressure. Today, Paris stands out as a key center for both Rojava and Southern Kurdistan (Başur); special focus and effort must be directed there.
In a moment when massacres against Druze and Alawite communities are unfolding in plain sight, any disarmament of the Kurds would amount to historical suicide. Abandoning self-defense would only invite a new wave of massacres.
Relying on the temporary balances of international powers has, in the past, led to disaster, as seen in Halabja and Shengal. The same risk remains today.
Today in Syria, the Kurds form not only the backbone of the resistance defending their own people, but also a protective shield for minorities ranging from Druze to Syriacs. If that backbone is broken, Syria will plunge into a new darkness.
Ultimately, if the process unfolding across Turkey and Northern Kurdistan does not become overly interventionist, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria holds a strong potential to emerge as a model for all of Syria. The people of Rojava, with over a decade of self-governance, have built more than just a line of defense, they represent the narrow corridor to peace and democratization in the Middle East. For the Kurds, calls for disarmament do not reflect the reality on the ground; rather, they risk becoming the prelude to a new catastrophe.
36 families in Raqqa found cooperative bakery
36 families in Raqqa established a cooperative with the support of the Cooperatives Committee under the Council of Agriculture and Economy.
Through their cooperative, the families brought to life a bakery project called 'Life Bakery Cooperative'. The bakery will serve many families in the canton.
The bakery officially opened on Monday, 4 August, with a ceremony attended by co-chairs of the Cooperatives and Raqqa Economy Committees as well as local residents.
The bakery will operate daily from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and 8.2 tons of flour have been allocated for its use. It will produce 8,750 loaves of bread per day, which will be distributed to all neighborhoods in the canton and to areas where displaced people from Afrin live.
The opening ceremony began with a moment of silence, as the news agency ANHA reported. The co-chair of the Cooperatives Committee, Ebdulxefûr Romî, welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of the cooperative.
Romî said: "The Life Bread Cooperative is the fourth bakery cooperative to be established. Similar cooperatives were previously launched on February 23 in Ferdos and Selhebi. These bakery cooperatives produce a total of 25,400 loaves of bread daily, which reach thousands of families through designated representatives."
He added that about 90 families are currently employed in bakery cooperatives. Romî also noted that the Cooperatives Committee is active not only in baking but also in agriculture, livestock, and small trades. They also provide support in seasonal production, olive production, and poultry farm management.
Romî added that the “Xeyrat Cizre Mills Cooperative”, which produces 30 tons of flour daily, is also operational. He concluded by thanking the Council of Agriculture and Economy and wished success to the newly opened cooperative.
Northern and Eastern Syria components prepare for joint stance conference
>In Northern and Eastern Syria, Kurdish, Arab, Syriac-Assyrian, Armenian, Yazidi, Turkmen, and Circassian communities are preparing to hold a large-scale meeting titled “Joint Stance Conference of the Components of Northern and Eastern Syria.”
According to ANHA, the conference will be held under the slogan “Together for the diversity that strengthens our unity and the cooperation that builds our future,” and is expected to bring together 400–500 delegates.
Ciwan Mela Ibrahim, a member of the Conference Preparatory Committee and Co-Chair of the Press Office of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria, stated that the committee is made up of about 20 people and has been working with representatives from all cantons in the region since June 2025.
Ibrahim noted that following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime, attempts at provocation among the peoples of Syria increased, and he emphasized that the aim of the conference is to express a will for unity in line with the goal of a decentralized, democratic Syria.
The conference, to which social, cultural, religious, and community leaders have also been invited, will include discussion of a draft text prepared by the Preparatory Committee, and a final declaration will be issued. The date and location of the conference are expected to be announced to the public in the coming days.
>>2418628>Last month, on the Daily Beast podcast, journalists Joanna Coles and Michael Wolff took turns reeling off a list of famous people who Wolff met while visiting Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan home. The recited names were a who’s who of rich, powerful, and perverted men, many of them recognized Friends of Jeffrey. But one name stood out as unusual: the Dalai Lama. (The list of names starts at about the 18:25 timestamp on the full recording.)>Coles thought so too, asking Wolff, “Did you actually meet the Dalai Lama at Jeffrey Epstein’s?”>“Indeed,” said Wolff.>Asked why the Dalai Lama was there, Wolff said that a lot of people hung out with Epstein to try to wheedle money out of him. And there was something compelling about the upscale salon-like scene: “It was always extraordinary,” said Wolff.https://www.jacobsilverman.com/p/why-was-the-dalai-lama-at-jeffreyfirst time im hearing that he met the dalai lama
>>2418663Plot twist: Prigozhin faked his own death and now he's the one with
the real Epstein files. Just wait until he pops out again.
>>2418692I guess he ran out of CIA money, I mean, the focus of anti-China activities has moved to Xinjiang and Taiwan and not even Richard Gere and Sharon Stone care anymore - and no one cares anymore about Gere and Stone. The last large attempt to stir up things in Tibet was in 2008, right before the Beijing olympics. I don't think the Indian govt is subsidising him either or at least not to the level he would like. The last few confrontations in disputed areas in the Himalaya didn't go well for India, so better not poke the Dragon too much, plus they have crap going on with Pakistan, which is definitely closer to China than them.
Long story short, Tenzin Gyatso needs money and he's not choosy about who he's asking for. Also, he met with Shoko Asahara, the founder and leader of the infamous Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo years before the Tokyo Subway attacks with sarin gas. He was eventually sentenced to death and executed.
Thread from pro-SDF account on the shady shell companies that are supposedly going to build the "Damascus Towers" and a new airport:
https://xcancel.com/ScharoMaroof/status/1953229459001098364https://xcancel.com/ScharoMaroof/status/1953238756305092634It's a bit exaggerating to call it a "scandal", though. No one cares lol.
https://www.hauntologies.net/p/notes-on-assadism-zionism-fascismAssadsisters, our response?
>This is also why the co-occupation of Lebanon by Israel and Assad’s Syria is so instructive, and I suspect this is why it tends to be ignored. It resembles in more ways than one the way apologists of Stalin have never been able to provide a convincing argument to explain why his regime teamed up with the Nazis to invade Poland together. More often than not, it is those sacrificed zones, the Polands and Lebanons and Palestinian refugee camps of this world, that reveal the true nature of authoritarian regimes. >the USSR should just have let Nazi Germany take all of Polandsurprise surprise, they're pro-Nazi
>>2423658Never left.
Unified Stance Conference in Heseke expresses will to build a free, democratic, decentralized SyriaThe Conference on ‘Unified Stance of North-East Syria’s Components’ was held in the city of Hesekê in the Cizirê Canton on Friday.
The conference at the Culture and Arts Center in the Xweran neighborhood saw the participation of nearly 500 representatives who gathered under the motto “Together for diversity that strengthens our unity, and cooperation that builds our future.”
>The conference concluded with the reading of the final declaration, which stated the following:<A democratic national administration“Representatives of the Kurdish, Arab, Syriac, Assyrian, Turkmen, Armenian, and Circassian communities, representing all components of the region, were present at the conference. The components expressed their common position on a democratic national administration based on pluralism, partnership, and equal citizenship.
<Historical depth and cultural richness of North-East SyriaConference participants spoke about the historical depth and cultural richness of the components of North and East Syria, as well as the neglect and marginalization by the central system in Syria. This neglect and marginalization were particularly prevalent during the period of the overthrown regime. The regime pursued systematic policies aimed at suppressing the identities of regional components, weakening the social and economic infrastructure, and depriving these components of fundamental rights such as democracy, fair representation, development, and participation.
<Crimes against humanity committed against the Syrian peopleToday, at this critical juncture in history, crimes against humanity are being committed against the Syrian people, particularly in the coastal region, the Suwayda region, and against Christians. There is a need for an impartial investigation and open and transparent work to uncover these crimes and those responsible for them. These crimes have been committed against our entire national mosaic.
<Diversity is a source of richness and strengthThe conference emphasized that national, religious, and cultural diversity in North and East Syria is a source of richness and strength, and stressed the need to strengthen this diversity within a political and administrative framework and to ensure that all components are represented. It was pointed out that the Autonomous Administration model is a dynamic model for democratic social governance that has been developed and strengthened.
<SDF is the core force necessary for a new Syrian national armyParticipants commended the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for its sacrifices in protecting the region and the dignity of its people, emphasizing that the SDF, which represents Syrian society accurately and protects its territory, is the core force necessary for a new Syrian national army based on expertise and volunteerism.
<A democratic constitutionBased on our belief in Syria's unity and sovereignty, we affirm that a lasting solution can only be achieved through a democratic constitution. This constitution will ensure the genuine participation of all components in the political and administrative process, based on the principles of freedom of belief, social justice, and good governance, and will establish a decentralized structure.
<Constitutional declaration does not meet the demands of the Syrian peopleThe current constitutional declaration does not meet the demands of the Syrian people for freedom and human dignity. A renewal and update is needed for broad participation and fair representation during the transition period.
<Active process for justiceThe conference also emphasized the need to launch an active process for justice and to reach a national consensus in the transition period. It stated that these measures are necessary to uncover the truth, conduct impartial investigations, and ensure that crimes are not repeated. It pointed out that this would create an environment conducive to the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of migrants.
<Leading role of women, youth, and civil societyParticipants emphasized the importance of the leading role of women, youth, and civil society in the construction process, and of strengthening the values of internal peace and dialogue against hatred.
<Administrative arrangementsParticipants emphasized the need to reassess administrative arrangements in Syria based on the country's demographic and developmental situation and the geographical, historical, and cultural characteristics of local communities.
<Comprehensive national consensusThe March 10 Agreement signed between the SDF and the transitional government and the results of the Kurdish Unity and Common Position Conference were discussed at the conference. In this context, it was stated that constructive steps were taken towards a comprehensive national consensus and that the confidence of Syrians in their country and their future was reestablished.
<National CongressAt the conference, a call was made for a National Congress to be held with the participation of all national and democratic forces in order to build a comprehensive national project to bring Syria out of the current crisis. It was stated that this congress would enable all Syrians to achieve a genuine and comprehensive national identity.
The documents and content of the Conference on ‘Unified Stance of North-East Syria’s Components’ reflect free will, common will, and insistence on building a free, democratic, pluralistic, and decentralized Syria.”
It has been announced that the documents approved at the conference will be shared with the public in the coming days.
Damascus government withdraws from talks with the SDF in Paris
Citing a Syrian Government Official Source, the SANA news agency reported that the government will not participate in any meetings scheduled in Paris.
The decision was justified by the Conference on ‘Unified Stance of North-East Syria’s Components’ held in Hesekê city on Friday.
The government official source stated that they “will not sit at the negotiation table with any side seeking to revive the era of the deposed regime under any name or cover.”
Al-Monitor, on the other hand, wrote that the Syrian government withdrew from the talks in Paris as a result of pressure from Turkey.
It is noteworthy that the decision followed Syrian transitional government president Ahmed al-Sharaa’s meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on August 7.
Syrian transitional government to hold elections before drafting a constitution
As the Syrian transitional government prepares for parliamentary elections scheduled between 15 and 20 September, the process faces significant legal, organizational, and political challenges. This situation affects both the representative nature of the elections and the overall structure of the transitional period for the people of Syria, writes ANHA News Agency.
<Election system and one-third appointed members
Taha al-Ahmed, Chair of the High Electoral Committee of the Syrian Transitional Government’s parliament, announced that the new parliament will consist of 210 members. Ahmed Al-Sharaa (Al-Jolani) will appoint one-third of the parliament, that is, 70 members, while the remaining 140 members will be selected through electoral committees. These members will then be chosen by branch committees and, subsequently, through those electoral bodies.
Al-Ahmed stated that the branch committees will be selected by the High Electoral Committee. In June 2025, Al-Jolani announced by presidential decree that he had formed a senior committee composed of figures close to him. According to the law issued by Al-Jolani, the appointed parliament has the authority to propose and amend legislation, ratify international agreements, and adopt both the national budget and general amnesties.
<Conditions and safeguards
Although these steps have been announced, many fundamental legal requirements and safeguards remain unfulfilled. These include the lack of a comprehensive population census, which is essential for conducting transparent elections, the absence of legislation for licensing political parties, and the fact that no general electoral law currently exists to govern the process in Syria.
This situation raises serious questions about the transparency of the parliament and the level of representation for all segments of the Syrian population.
Media outlets have criticized Al-Jolani for assuming power without elections. The preparations for elections appear to contradict Al-Jolani’s own statements to the press.
Al-Jolani said, “It may take up to four years to hold elections in Syria. Any peaceful election requires a general census, the drafting and adoption of a new constitution, and these processes may take around three years.”
Al-Jolani had previously stated that valid elections require a comprehensive and complete population census. He emphasized that without adequate infrastructure and legal coordination with Syrians living abroad, it would not be possible to carry out elections.
<Executive control and the importance of power
The Constitutional Declaration issued by the Transitional Government in June 2025, which defines the transitional period as lasting five years, grants broad powers to the head of the transitional government. While the declaration states that powers should be separated, it simultaneously gives Al-Jolani absolute authority over the definition of legislative, executive, and judicial powers.
Observers note that the appointment of one-third of the parliament by Al-Jolani, along with the formation of electoral boards through branch committees established by an unelected electoral commission, strengthens the dominance of the executive branch over legislative institutions. This, they argue, increases the risk that the upcoming parliament will function more as a symbolic body than as a genuine legislative authority.
<Geographical and political obstacles
The elections are taking place while the Transitional Government controls only part of Syrian territory. Large areas, including Suwayda (Siweida) and much of Northern and Eastern Syria, remain outside the government's authority. In addition, there are areas occupied by the Turkish army and affiliated mercenary groups. This raises questions about the extent to which all Syrians will be represented in the new parliament.
The agreement signed on 10 March between Mazloum Abdi and Al-Jolani, which included a provision for incorporating the institutions of Northern and Eastern Syria under the framework of the state, has yet to be implemented. This has led to uncertainty about the participation of people in the region in the upcoming electoral process.
<Domestic and international reactions
The Constitutional Declaration and the electoral process have been widely criticized by legal organizations and segments of Syrian society. Warnings have been raised that the transitional system reinforces political hegemony, undermining the opportunity to establish a genuinely democratic political order.
The Transitional Government, however, claims that these elections represent “a fundamental step in the political transition process” and that their goal is “to rebuild state institutions and ensure stability.”
Syria has faced the same form of parliamentary elections since the 1960s, an ongoing practice that runs contrary to the Syrian constitution.
The most recent parliamentary elections in Syria were held in 2024.
>>2425403SDF foils an attack on one of their positions in Deir ez-Zor countrysideOn Friday afternoon, an armed group attempted to infiltrate one of the SDF’s positions in the town of Al-Jazrat, part of the Al-Kasrat area, Deir ez-Zor’s countryside, the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) Press Office reported.
The attackers, who crossed the Euphrates River using a boat, targeted the SDF position with an RPG projectile.
The SDF stated that their forces responded directly to the source of fire, leading to a brief clash between their forces and the attackers, who eventually fled back across the river. No casualties were reported among the SDF ranks.
SDF forces have launched a sweep operation in the area to track down the infiltrators and ensure the continued security and stability of the region, said the SDF, adding: “We reaffirm that our forces will not allow any party to destabilize the area and will respond forcefully to anyone attempting to incite chaos or threaten the safety and security of our people.”
SDF calls on Damascus-affiliated and Turkey-backed factions to immediately cease all violationsThe Media Center of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) released a statement reporting increasingly ongoing violations of the ceasefire by the factions supported by Turkey and operating under the umbrella of the Damascus Government.
The SDF statement on Saturday includes the following:
“At a time when the Syrian people, along with all parties committed to a peaceful solution, are looking forward to stability across the entire geography of Syria, the factions supported by Turkey and operating under the umbrella of the Damascus Government continue to commit repeated violations of the ceasefire in several areas, including Deir ez-Zor, Deir Hafer, the Tishreen Dam, and Tal Tamir. These violations also include suspicious movements around the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo, in blatant breach of the agreement signed between the administration of the two neighborhoods and the Damascus administration on April 1, 2025.
These factions have attacked areas of North and East Syria more than 22 times, using heavy weapons, launching ground assaults, and attempting to cross the Euphrates River to target our bases in Deir ez-Zor. These attacks have caused significant damage in areas inhabited by civilians.
Such aggressions contradict the spirit of the agreement concluded between Mr. Ahmed al-Sharaa and our General Commander, Mazloum Abdi—an agreement whose essence is the complete cessation of fire, the protection of civilians, and the promotion of opportunities for a political solution.
Throughout this period, we have exercised restraint and sought to maintain calm despite these aggressions, out of our belief that Syria’s stability requires genuine partnership and shared responsibility from all parties. However, the continuation of these attacks threatens mutual trust and undermines these understandings, placing them at risk and reviving a war mentality at a time when Syria most needs dialogue—while the Damascus Government bears full responsibility.
Accordingly, we:
1. Call on the Damascus Government and its affiliated factions, as well as the factions supported by Turkey, to immediately cease all violations and adhere to the terms of the agreement.
2. Urge the international community and human rights organizations to monitor these violations and work to ensure respect for signed agreements.
3. Extend our hand for dialogue and cooperation toward a safe and stable Syria, while at the same time affirming our readiness to take all necessary measures to defend the rights and security of our people.”
>>2426714yeah, I don't think so. If I present you this arab, picrel, literally a palgusano, you'll tell me that because there are palgusanos, Palestinians are all
>"ethnoreligious cult that brainwashes its newborn into becoming fascist collaborators".so, stfu, moron.
>inb4 it's only one palgusano.there are several like him, he's just the spearhead.
Syrian Internal Security forces withdrew from joint checkpoints with the Syrian Democratic Forces at the entrances to the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo following tensions between the two sides.
Call for independent investigation into executions in Sweida
The calls for an independent investigation into the attacks that took place in July in Sweida came after footage was published on Sunday showing government forces executing a volunteer health worker inside a hospital.
On 13 July, clashes that began between Druze and Bedouin tribes backed by the interim government in Damascus escalated into a massacre when troops sent by the Damascus administration intervened.
Around 1,400 people, most of them Druze civilians, were killed. The actual toll is believed to be higher.
Witnesses, Druze groups, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) accused interim government forces of supporting the Bedouins and committing serious violations, including executions targeting Druze.
Security camera footage published by local media outlet Suwayda 24 shows a group of healthcare workers kneeling on the floor inside Sweida’s main hospital on 16 July. A brief exchange occurs between a volunteer medic and an armed man wearing military fatigues and a Ministry of Interior uniform. Moments later, the medic is shot, and his lifeless body is dragged away, leaving a trail of blood.
SOHR described the footage as “a shocking execution carried out by forces affiliated with the Ministries of Defense and Interior” and called for the establishment of an independent, impartial international commission of inquiry.
Fadel Abdul Ghany, head of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, also urged the UN-affiliated international commission to investigate violations committed by all parties in Sweida, saying that the inquiry committee set up last month by the Damascus government was “not credible.”
>>2429086there was and there are many internal conflicts, violent conflicts, sectarian conflicts, with turks and zionists intervening directly.
I mean, that justifies the existence of the thread.
Syrian Democratic Forces raised military awareness in Dayr Hafir, Aleppo against the Syrian ArmySDF delegation arrives in Damascus to resume talks with Syrian governmentERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A delegation from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeast Syria (Rojava) arrived in Damascus late Monday for renewed talks with Syria’s interim government, Rudaw has learned. The discussions aim to advance the implementation of a key agreement to integrate the Kurdish-led forces into the Syrian military structure.
Rudaw’s correspondent in Damascus, Dilkhwaz Muhammad, reported that “an SDF delegation has arrived in the Syrian capital” to launch a new round of talks on implementing the March 10 agreement between SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi and Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The Abdi-Sharaa landmark agreement outlines the integration of “all civil and military institutions in northeast Syria [Rojava] under the administration of the Syrian state,” and establishes a “ceasefire across all Syrian territory.”
Since its signing in March, several rounds of discussions have been held to finalize the implementation of the deal.
According to Muhammad, the SDF delegation is led by Elham Ahmad, foreign relations co-chair of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES).
In a late July interview with Rudaw, Ahmad said that while the talks with Damascus were making progress, they “had not yet reached the level of formal negotiations.” She described the meetings as “a form of dialogue” aimed at addressing the broader Syrian issue.
Emphasizing Kurdish officials’ support for a decentralized political system in Syria, Ahmad then-argued that centralized rule has long contributed to the country’s instability. Decentralization, she said, would ease the burden on the central government by allowing regional administrations to oversee services, cultural affairs, language policy, and internal security.
Ahmad also noted that a key obstacle to implementing the Abdi-Sharaa agreement lies in differing interpretations of the integration process. While the SDF seeks to join the Syrian army as a cohesive unit, Damascus insists on integrating fighters individually into existing military units.
In late July, Qutaiba Idlbi, director of American affairs at Syria’s foreign ministry, told Rudaw that a follow-up meeting between the Syrian government and the SDF was scheduled to take place in Paris "soon" to finalize the integration process.
However, the Syrian interim government abruptly canceled the Paris talks on Saturday, citing a recent unity conference in Hasaka - attended by more than 400 representatives from various Syrian minority groups - as a breach of the Abdi-Sharaa agreement.
The conference called for amendments to the transitional constitution, which critics say gives excessive powers to interim President Sharaa while sidelining non-majority communities.
A government source told state media that “this conference has dealt a blow to the ongoing negotiation effort. Accordingly, the government will not participate in any meetings scheduled in Paris.”
While the SDF delegation’s visit to Damascus suggests an easing of tensions, it remains unclear whether the canceled Paris talks will be rescheduled.
>>2429086Retard in the truest sense of the word. you're free to fuck off.
The STG appointed the SNA commander of Ahrar al-Sharqiya as head of the 86th Division, which is based mostly in Deir ez-Zor in reality and nominally over Raqqa and al-Hasakah. The guy has committed numerous war crimes against Kurdish civilians and is sanctioned by the US.
https://archive.ph/qAXhuNot mentioned in the article: the dude is illiterate but now holds a commissioned officer rank equivalent to Major General lol.
>>2429637Not much. The guy was expelled from Ahrar al-Sham because of embezzlement of the group's funds. After FSA-affilated groups were booted from eastern Syria by ISIS, SDF and SAA, he formed his group and partook in Euphrates Shield on the side of Turkey.
He and his group participated in the other two Turkish direct military interventions, generally doing nothing like other SNA factions who coasted off Turkish firepower. They were more well-known for infighting with other SNA factions like the Hamza division and also just acting like bandits in the territories that the Turks occupied.
According to Al-Arabiya quoting a Kurdish source, Syrian officials and the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration met in Damascus to discuss decentralization, affirm commitment to talks under international oversight, and reject military options after Damascus boycotted Paris meetings
=Kurdish neighborhoods Council in Aleppo Seek to Defuse Tensions with Damascus==
Erbil (Kurdistan24) – The Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, two predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo, affirmed on Wednesday that they are working to calm the situation amid growing frictions between Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the region.
Speaking to Kurdistan24, Nouri Sheikho, Deputy Head of the General Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, said tensions have risen in recent days following the closure of the "Unity of Components" conference in Hasakah. “On social media and in various statements, hostile rhetoric against the Autonomous Administration has escalated,” he noted.
Sheikho stressed that their communication and negotiations with the Syrian government are ongoing with the aim of restoring calm. He urged Damascus to “halt the escalation, act with national wisdom, and resolve disputes through dialogue, as war only brings destruction.”
From a local perspective, journalist Fadel Mohammed from Ashrafiyeh told Kurdistan24 that despite some “provocative actions,” the situation on the ground remains calm and under control. He added that the Syrian government has made no tangible initiatives toward the two Kurdish neighborhoods, and talks between the councils and Syrian official entities are continuing.
In a separate statement, the SDF said Syrian government forces have recently attempted to stir unrest through “provocative acts,” but so far, the SDF has not taken any action in response. The force warned that if such provocations continue, they will respond within their legitimate right to self-defense. According to the SDF, these actions undermine the ceasefire agreement reached between the councils of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh and the Syrian government, and are incompatible with existing understandings.
The SDF called on Damascus to control its armed groups to prevent actions that could derail agreements and to safeguard civil peace in Aleppo and other regions.
Damascus had boycotted the “Unity of Components Conference” held on August 9 in Hasakah, accusing the SDF and the Autonomous Administration of attempting to advance a “separatist agenda.” However, Autonomous Administration officials have strongly rejected this claim, affirming their commitment to Syria’s territorial integrity. Ilham Ahmed, a senior official of the Administration, said they reject any form of division and are committed to a united Syrian homeland.
On Monday evening, a delegation from the Autonomous Administration, led by Ilham Ahmed—who also serves as Co-Chair of the Administration’s Foreign Relations Department—arrived in Damascus to discuss ways to ease tensions with the Syrian government. The two sides agreed to hold several meetings in the coming period to address ongoing disputes.
>>2429714Appoint a clown, get clownish results, kind of military career, will it be, then?
turks will most likely take the military campaign on their hands.
SDF-Damascus tensions could stall Ankara-PKK peace process: MP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Escalating tensions between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Damascus-aligned forces in northern Syria risk undermining the renewed peace efforts between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Turkish government, a lawmaker from Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish party mediating the peace initiative warned on Monday.
In an interview with Rudaw, Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a member of the Turkish parliament representing the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), described the security situation in northern Syria as “worrying.”
“If an agreement isn't reached in Syria [between Damascus and the SDF],” particularly “on the status of [northeast Syria] Rojava, I don't think the [peace] process in Turkey will succeed,” he warned, referring to renewed peace efforts between Ankara and the PKK.
The SDF, Rojava’s de facto military, has long served as the main ground partner of the US-led Global Coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria.
On March 10, Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement to integrate all civil and military institutions in Rojava, including the Kurdish-led forces, under the authority of the Syrian state.
Talks on the implementation of the agreement have since been ongoing with differing interpretations of the integration process emerging as a major sticking point. While the SDF seeks to join the Syrian army as a unified bloc, Damascus prefers integrating fighters individually and dispersing them across its regular units.
The DEM Party lawmaker’s remarks followed the outbreak of new clashes between the SDF and Syrian government forces in northern Syria in the last two days.
The Kurdish-led forces on Monday accused factions affiliated with Damascus of launching “an attack on four of our positions” in Syria’s northern Aleppo province, holding Damascus “fully responsible” for the assault.
A day earlier, the SDF and Damascus exchanged blame for a previous attack recorded in northern Syria’s Manbij city that reportedly injured four Syrian government troops and three civilians.
Gergerlioglu drew parallels with the 2013-2015 peace process between Ankara and the PKK, which collapsed amid heightened tensions over the Syrian civil war and Turkey’s opposition to the rising influence of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) - a group Ankara views as an affiliate of the PKK - in northern Syria.
Domestically, Turkey’s newly formed parliamentary commission - tasked with developing the legal and political framework for PKK disarmament - is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Tuesday.
The 51-member body includes representatives from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), AKP’s ultranationalist ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the DEM Party, and several smaller parties.
“The commission's biggest task right now is determining the legal status of PKK fighters after disarmament,” Gergerlioglu said. “There will be discussions around a new law,” he added, noting that “some amendments and reversals of existing laws,” might take place.
The commission’s formation follows a symbolic disarmament gesture in early July, when 30 PKK fighters ceremonially set their weapons ablaze in the Kurdistan Region - a move widely interpreted as a show of goodwill toward the peace talks with Ankara.
YPG commemorate Leader of Rojava revolution, Nûreddîn Sofî
The General Command of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) commemorated the Leader of the Rojava and NE Syria revolution, Nûreddîn Sofî, renewing their pledge to preserve and protect the achievements attained by the martyrs through their blood and sacrifices.
YPG commemorate Leader of Rojava revolution, Nûreddîn Sofî
NEWS
11 August, 2025 15:41
NEWSDESK
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Today, the General Command of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) issued a statement to the public regarding the martyrdom of the leader Nûreddîn Sofî, describing him as the "Leader of the Rojava Revolution," which stated:
“We remember with respect our comrade Nûreddîn Sofî, a commander and leading figure of the Rojava Revolution, who was martyred on April 6, 2021, in the Bergarê area of Garê during an attack by the occupying Turkish army while he was visiting former comrades. We extend our condolences to his patriotic family and to all the peoples of North and East Syria and Kurdistan.
With the Arab Spring in 2011, our region entered a historic period of change. The peoples of Syria stood at its center and faced a clear crossroads: either build a broad, free, and democratic system or slide deeper into chaos. Given Syria’s mosaic of Arabs, Kurds, Syriacs, Armenians, Turkmens, and Circassians, a new model and system were urgently needed.
In this context, a popular revolution took shape in Rojava under the leadership of the Kurdish freedom movement. People organized as the YXK, and later the YPG–YPJ soon became the core of the region’s defense. Within a short time, thousands of women and men joined to defend their land. The Rojava Revolution quickly grew beyond its own geography and, through its struggle against Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS, became an internationalist revolution that defended all humanity.
Declared on July 19, 2012, the Rojava Revolution began to build its own system as a beacon of freedom and democracy. It offered an alternative to the turmoil tearing the region apart, in Syria and across the Middle East. As the joint revolution of Syria’s peoples, Rojava became a place where communities could find security. It confronted both reactionary states and jihadist structures, forming defense from within society and institutionalizing it. In this way, it pioneered a free and democratic order long yearned for by the region’s peoples.
This revolution was built through immense labor and sacrifice. With thousands of martyrs, it rose from the ashes. Great commanders, courageous fighters, and our people wrote a new history. Among its pioneers was our commander, Comrade Nûreddîn Sofî.
Comrade Sofî returned to Rojava, his birthplace, in 2013 and took on a leading role in the revolution. He brought long experience from the Kurdish freedom struggle. With his military and political capacity, he helped give structure to the Rojava Revolution and carry it forward to today.
Rojava was special to him because it was home. He was born in 1970 in the village of Mişerfê in Qamishlo, where Kurds and Arabs lived together, and came from a patriotic family that kept religious traditions and upheld strong social ethics. His family was respected among Arab and Syriac communities, and many youth from that circle joined the freedom struggle.
Raised in this rich social setting, he developed strong patriotic and communal qualities. He lived his Kurdish identity deeply, nourished by Kurdish culture and literature.
He came of age under the Ba’ath regime’s oppression and early on sought answers to state repression. As a young man he encountered socialism, read constantly, and explored socialist philosophy and scientific socialism while building a circle of like-minded friends. He studied physics and mathematics at Aleppo University, where he met Apoist thought and saw in the Apoist movement the living practice of the scientific socialism he had studied. On this basis, he joined the Kurdish freedom movement in 1990 and, over 24 years, gained deep military and political experience.
From 2013 onward he assumed senior responsibility in building the revolution. He worked across political, ideological, diplomatic, and military fields. He coordinated efforts throughout North and East Syria to institutionalize TEV-DEM and the canton system. To systematize commune and assembly work, he traveled city by city, engaging all institutions. He worked shoulder to shoulder with the people, dealt personally with issues, and never looked down on anyone. With children he was as a child; with elders he was as an elder. A compelling speaker with a deep philosophical, historical, scientific, and ideological grasp, he moved those he met and drew them into the work of the revolution. Wherever he went, social organization grew. He listened, understood, and knew how to speak with everyone.
He played an important role in the growth of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) and the Autonomous Administration. If the Autonomous Administration is recognized across Syria today as a foundational model, Comrade Sofî’s contribution is substantial. He foresaw this period and took ownership of the work, bringing Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Armenians, and Turkmens together within the democratic-nation framework.
He also led one of the most essential pillars of institution-building: defense. He devoted great effort to strengthening the YPG–YPJ. As ISIS and al-Nusra attacks intensified, he coordinated the war. With long military experience and clear command, he advanced our defense. As attacks escalated, YPG–YPJ mounted numerous campaigns. He personally coordinated, at the operational level, the Tel Hamis and Tel Barak operations, the Battle of Cezaa, the Tel Hamis–Revenge operation, Wrath of the Euphrates in Raqqa, the Jazeera Storm operation in Deir ez-Zor, and the final campaign that ended ISIS in Baghouz. He played an active role in the defense of Kobanî, coordinated resistance to attacks in Aleppo and Afrin, and commanded the fight against the Turkish state’s invasions of Afrin, Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ain), and Girê Spî (Tel Abyad).
Committed to a common defense for all the peoples of this land, he played a direct role in the 2015 founding of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the joint defense force of North and East Syria.
As jihadist groups and the occupying Turkish state intensified their attacks, he assumed the post of General Commander of the YPG in 2016. With tactical depth and battlefield experience, he contributed decisively to ISIS’s defeat across North and East Syria. He was a multifaceted commander. His clarity and accumulated knowledge gave him tactical range. Wherever he was, fighters felt secure. Even in the hardest moments, he found a way forward. He never accepted that there was no solution. He gathered the views of his comrades, decided, and acted. His decisions were clear and courageous. He was sharp in command and steady in action.
His approach to women’s liberation reflected his socialism. He practiced genuine comradeship with women, recognized their will, worked alongside them, and treated the women’s line as a guiding principle. In social institution-building and in the YPJ’s development into a standing army, he worked jointly with women comrades.
He also stood out for his internationalism. In the fight against ISIS, hundreds of internationalist comrades joined us from around the world. Comrade Sofî engaged each of them so they could join the struggle more strongly, understanding their social background and speaking to their hearts.
In every respect, Comrade Sofî left his mark on our struggle. In social construction and in military work, he became a leading and exemplary commander. His words and deeds were one. He never lost his energy for life or his discipline for learning. He read, studied, and taught; he debated ideas and researched what stirred his curiosity. Loyal to the values we created, he also sought the new. He never stood still. With both mind and body, he set an example. He fit no mold. He was always in motion, living every moment for the struggle. He worked as a team with his comrades and practiced collective leadership as a socialist commander. He never insisted on himself and valued each comrade’s view. Spiritual and moral values were essential to him. He cherished literature, art, and the creations of the struggle. He was a persuasive advocate and a powerful orator who knew what to say and how to say it. Winning people to the struggle was his way of life. He left a deep impression on everyone who met him. With humility, honesty, sincerity, and revolutionary ethics, he was exemplary in every setting.
Our great commander, Comrade Nûreddîn Sofî, left us a clear revolutionary line and legacy. In the struggle across the four parts of Kurdistan against policies of annihilation and genocide, he inscribed his name in history. For us he remains an unforgettable commander, comrade, and revolutionary.
By honoring Comrade Nûreddîn Sofî, who helped carry the Rojava Revolution into the present and on whose foundations today’s system of North and East Syria rests, we remember all who fell in the struggle for freedom. We offer condolences to the families of Nûreddîn Sofî and of guerrilla comrade Bahtiyar Gabar, who fell alongside him, and to all our people. We pledge to safeguard the martyrs’ legacy and to carry the freedom struggle to victory.”
A-H
ANHA
<Nearly 10,000 killed in Syria since 'diversity-friendly jihadists' seized power: Report>Sectarian violence and massacres against Alawites, Druze, and Christians have skyrocketed since former ISIS commander Ahmad al-Sharaa became president in December.>The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has documented the violent deaths of nearly 10,000 people in Syria since the former ISIS commander, Ahmad al-Sharaa, was installed in power in Damascus. >SOHR reported on 7 August that “due to ongoing violence and violations by local and foreign actors, coupled with widespread security chaos,” at least 9,889 people have been killed since 8 December 2024, the day Damascus fell.
>The SORH said that 7,449 civilians were among the victims, including 396 children and 541 women.(very zionist of them, mind you)
>It also stressed that there has been no accountability for killings carried out by members of Syria's security forces and affiliated armed factions, while “in some cases, perpetrators are being covered up and facts are being distorted.”https://thecradle.co/articles/nearly-10000-killed-in-syria-since-diversity-friendly-jihadists-seized-power-reportwhere are the human right advocates in the west, the progressive screeches and "leftist", the libs calling for massive sanctions and listing the government as terrorist, doing videos about the massacres and violence that cried tears with Assad?
>>2432025Israeli's bombing Idlib?
Would it be safe to assume stuff they're keeping back from the capital and in their stronghold tactically?
28 more civilians killed in Suwayda
Following the aggression launched on 13 July by jihadist mercenaries affiliated with the Syrian Interim Government, the attacks and blockade on the Druze city of Suwayda continue despite a ceasefire.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) announced that the death toll on both sides from the attacks that began on 13 July and continued until the 20 July ceasefire has risen to 1,653.
SOHR reported that the identities of 28 more civilians, including 12 women, executed by members of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior of the Interim Syrian Government have been documented. This raises the number of people summarily executed in the city by groups affiliated with the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to 429, including 38 women and 14 children. Among those killed were 20 medical personnel from the al-Suwayda National Hospital, executed by personnel of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior.
In Suwayda, 724 people have been killed, including 166 civilians, among them 21 children, 56 women, and two journalists. On the side of the armed groups affiliated with the Damascus government, 535 were killed in the clashes.
<Attacks on sacred sites
It was reported that members of the Ministries of Defence and Interior affiliated with the jihadist HTS targeted religious sites and places of worship in villages surrounding the city. According to local eyewitnesses, around 30 Druze religious shrines and at least four churches in the villages of al-Sourah al-Kabeera, Radimah al-Lua, Ta’arah, and al-Duwairah were attacked and damaged. In the second half of July, the Masjid al-Haram in the city of Suwayda was directly targeted.
The Interim Syrian Government released 28 captives from Suwayda, including elderly people and women. The captives had been arrested in connection with events following an armed clash in July between local armed groups and jihadist mercenaries, which resulted in casualties and the arrest of dozens.
Local sources reported that the releases may have been part of a prisoner exchange agreement, and that the Druze side likely released a similar number of people in return. Occasional negotiations between the two sides had taken place for such exchanges.
Hevin Suleiman: Transitional government responsible for violations
Forces of the Syrian transitional government carried out an attack on the Sheikh Maqsoud (Şêxmeqsûd) and Ashrafieh (Eşrefiye) neighborhoods of Aleppo, injuring two members of the Internal Security Forces.
In her remarks on the attack, co-chair of the General Assembly of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, Hevin Suleiman, told ANHA: “Some armed groups and soldiers affiliated with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior of the Syrian transitional government have not yet severed their ties with the occupying Turkish state; on the contrary, they are directly implementing orders coming from Turkey against our region.”
Hevin noted that last week, armed drones were deployed over both neighborhoods by armed groups of the transitional government. She said, “Such attacks against our neighborhoods are illegitimate provocations. The transitional government is responsible for these violations. If necessary, we will defend our neighborhoods and our dignity without hesitation.”
<We have effective defense experience
Hevin further stated that any potential conflict would serve the interests of no party and emphasized that the residents of both neighborhoods possess effective experience gained since the time of the revolutionary people’s war and will not hesitate to defend themselves against any attack they face.
<The April 1 agreement remains in effect
Hevin Suleiman underlined that both neighborhoods are part of Aleppo and that Arabs, Kurds, Syriacs, Turkmens, and other ethnic groups live together on the basis of the brotherhood of peoples.
Hevin noted that it remains in force, with the General Security Forces of the Syrian Interim Government and the Internal Security Forces continuing their duties at joint checkpoints to protect the residents of both neighborhoods, on the agreement signed on April 1.
Hevin expressed hope for the establishment of peace throughout Syria and concluded: “We are in favor of resolving all problems through dialogue.”
One killed, three wounded in security operation by Deir ez-Zor Military Council
The Media Office of Deir ez-Zor Military Council reported that a group of four fighters from Deir ez-Zor Military Council—who were off duty and engaged in a non-military errand to receive medical treatment at a pharmacy in the town of Garanij, east of Deir ez-Zor —were subjected to a terrorist act by an armed group believed to be affiliated with the ISIS terrorist organization on the evening of Wednesday.
In response, Deir ez-Zor Military Council conducted a precise military operation that resulted in the killing of one of the abductors and the wounding of three others. “The operation is continuing according to plan, and we affirm that any attack on our forces or our people in the region will be met with a firm and decisive response,” the statement on Thursday said.
Deir ez-Zor Military Council announced the launch of an immediate and comprehensive investigation to uncover the circumstances of the incident and determine responsibilities, while withholding all information and details related to the case until the investigation is concluded and necessary measures are completed.
“Our Deir ez-Zor Military Council rejects any attempts to undermine the security and stability of the region and reaffirms its determination to pursue terrorism wherever it may be, and to escalate operations against all those who threaten the lives of our people and the achievements of our struggle,” the Council stated.
I think there are potentially power games being played in the SDF. looks like the YPJ are putting their foot down on the army integration stuff.
Çiğdem Doğu: YPJ cannot hand over weapons
Çiğdem Doğu, a member of the Coordination of the Kurdistan Women’s Community (KJK), took part in a special program on Medya Haber TV, which broadcasts in Turkish, where she offered important assessments on the situation in Syria and in North and East Syria. She underlined that the key to solving the Syrian crisis lies in decentralization and developing systems that enable communities to manage themselves democratically.
She pointed out that the “Conference on Unity of Position for the Components of North and East Syria,” held in Hasaka on August 8 with the participation of representatives of different peoples, was meaningful, considering it a reflection of the idea of a “Democratic Syrian Republic.”
She said: “In Syria, decentralized systems must be developed that allow peoples to govern themselves democratically. The issues that emerged 100 years ago remain unresolved to this day, and the same is true in Turkey. Leader Abdullah Ocalan defines this as the ‘democratic society,’ which includes mechanisms enabling the community to govern itself to a certain extent. Even if there is state administration, the community must have its own autonomous administration domains. This is also the case for Syria.”
Çiğdem Doğu emphasized that Syria is characterized by great diversity in terms of sects, ethnic identities, and religions, in addition to the role of women. She continued: “In North and East Syria, we see the women’s revolution and women’s organization, while in the regions of the Alawites and Druze many massacres have taken place, and violence against women and massacres against peoples continue.”
She stressed: “In such circumstances, imposing the surrender of weapons on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is tantamount to saying, ‘Come, let us cut your throat.’ It means nothing else. The idea of ‘integration’ is also illogical; there is no real Syrian army in Syria today. What exists now are only different gang-like groups. These bloodthirsty groups carry out random attacks against different identities: national, ethnic, and sectarian. There is no logic in forcing the SDF to surrender their weapons or integrate; there is no real army to integrate into, and no guarantee of life.”
She added: “The people here have struggled and fought for years, achieving great values, and they have tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded. As for the women’s revolution, it has brought great achievements, allowing women to live in freedom and to continue their lives.”
She continued:“For example, the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) are an armed force, and they cannot hand over their weapons to such an army. In this region, Arabs, Armenians, Kurds, and Syriacs live together, and no one has the right to speak on their behalf.”
Çiğdem Doğu concluded by affirming that the Conference on Unity of Position for the Components of North and East Syria, held in Hasaka, was of great importance, with the participation of Alawite, Druze, and Sunni representatives. She explained that this conference is significant for setting a common stance and reflects the idea of a Democratic Syrian Republic, where everyone will participate democratically, fight when necessary, and defend when necessary.
She stressed: “This process is very important to safeguard the women’s revolution and the democratic revolution of peoples. Since it will become an example for the Middle East and Turkey, it is vital to continue the struggle and resistance.”
A-H
ANHA
More hospital CCTV footage shows a civilian that was executed later.
Turns out the camera in the second video in
>>2427259 was only a few metres away from an execution.
>>2434171>>HTS affiliated journalist reports that the SDF has besieged the towns of Gharanij and Al-Kashkiyah ( these guys >>2430025 (You)) east of Deir Ezzor to launch raids there. SDF affiliated journalist reports a massive campaign targeting ISIS and remnants of the regime.For clarification this is probably more than just a rumour because they were threatening to do so yesterday after the kidnapping incident, in relation to: ( One killed, three wounded in security operation by Deir ez-Zor Military Council
>>2432426 ) There's speculation that government troops were involved, maybe this will resolve but also maybe it will be the spark.
(yesterday)
Deadly Clashes and Abductions in Deir ez-Zor as Tensions Escalate Between SDF and DamascusEastern Deir ez-Zor witnessed a sharp escalation after armed assailants in the town of Gharanij surrounded members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) inside a pharmacy they were visiting on an unofficial mission. The incident triggered intense clashes, leaving three attackers injured and one dead, while six SDF members were abducted. Two were later released, but four remain in captivity. The attackers also seized a military vehicle accompanying the SDF personnel.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the assault coincided with mortar shelling from the western bank of the Euphrates River, in areas controlled by the Syrian government, targeting SDF positions.
In response, the SDF initiated a wide-scale combing operation to locate the abducted members, warning that it may storm the area if they are not freed. Accusations were directed at the commander of the 86th Brigade, known as Hatem Abu Shaqra, alleging that the assailants operated under his orders. The claims are linked to reports that he had been “provoking” the SDF and facilitating the entry of Iranian operatives and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) fighters into the area — actions which, according to sources, prompted U.S. officials to demand his departure from Deir ez-Zor.
Neither side has issued an official statement regarding the latest escalation.
In a separate development, SOHR sources reported that the Damascus government abruptly shut down two key commercial crossings: the Deir Hafer crossing in eastern Aleppo countryside and the Salamiya crossing, also known as the “Tabqa” crossing. This move halted all commercial truck movement and fuel transportation between SDF-controlled areas and government-held territories.
The closures applied only to commercial traffic, with civilian passage still permitted. The decision sparked concern and uncertainty over the government’s motives and future plans for these vital routes.
SOHR documented heightened military activity on the contact lines between Turkish-backed factions under the Syrian Ministry of Defense and the SDF. Reinforcements have been deployed to areas stretching from Deir Hafer in eastern Aleppo to the town of Aqirash in eastern Raqqa.
Factions known as “Sultan Suleiman Shah” (Al-Amshat) and “Al-Hamza Division” (Al-Hamzat) sent additional forces, including armored vehicles and medium-to-heavy weapons, along the road connecting the two provinces.
Amid this military buildup, SDF forces have raised their alert levels and reinforced positions along the contact lines, anticipating possible sudden developments. The mounting tension has raised fears of a renewed military confrontation.
SOHR sources denied media claims that the United States had warned the SDF the “International Coalition” might not protect it if Damascus launched a military offensive, unless it adhered to the March 10 agreement. According to the sources, such reports were merely pressure tactics aimed at forcing Damascus to choose between integrating the SDF into its ranks or facing its collapse, adding that the Syrian government’s survival hinges on such integration.
Earlier reports by Middle East Eye and other outlets, citing regional and security sources, alleged preparations for a Syrian military operation against the SDF with indirect Turkish support, alongside U.S. warnings tied to the March 10 agreement. These claims were categorically dismissed by North Press and SOHR sources.
SDF Source to North Press: No U.S. Pressure, Only New Joint Tasks
Separately, an SDF source told North Press on Wednesday evening that there was no U.S. pressure on the SDF, but rather new joint tasks under discussion.
According to the source, “The claims in the Middle East Eye report are fabricated, repetitive, and do not reflect reality. They aim to mislead public opinion.”
The source stressed that “there is no U.S. pressure on the SDF; on the contrary, there are new missions being discussed jointly.”
He added, “Washington affirms the importance of the SDF’s presence within the Syrian army, noting that without it, the situation would be catastrophic for the government.”
The source concluded, “We reaffirm our commitment to dialogue and value the role of allies and international mediators in seeking a final agreement with Damascus.”
Syrian army plans to seize eastern provinces if Kurds fail to co-operate
The Syrian military is planning a major offensive by October to capture two main provinces on the Euphrates River from a mostly Kurdish militia that has refused to submit to Damascus, security sources told The National.
If the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) does not hand over the bulk of its territorial possessions, a Syrian attack force of 50,000 being assembled near the desert city of Palmyra will sweep north and capture the governorates of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor with support from their overwhelmingly Arab tribal populations, the sources said.
One of the sources, who holds a sensitive security position in Syria and requested anonymity, said the offensive would not go ahead “without an American green light”. Another key would be ensuring non-intervention by Israel, which last month bombed Damascus to repulse a government offensive on the southern provincial capital of Sweida.
US-sponsored talks have failed to make progress in bridging differences between the two sides. The secular SDF is increasingly being seen as recalcitrant in Washington by not handing any significant powers to Damascus, the source said – a view closer to that of Turkey, which wants the SDF's demise.
<Deadly clashes
Re-establishing central control of SDF territory has emerged as a major obstacle to stabilisation since the removal of former Syrian president Bashar Al Assad in December by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), an al Qaeda splinter group now in control of the state.
Deadly clashes have increased between the SDF and forces loyal to Damascus since the US-sponsored talks between the two sides faltered last month. The two sides signed a deal in March to integrate the SDF into the Syrian army, but relations have soured since then.
At Saudi and Turkish urgings, the US embarked in May on normalisation with Damascus. President Donald Trump met President Ahmad Al Shara in Riyadh, giving a glimpse of a potential alliance that could weaken Iran and Russia, and their allies in the Middle East.
<Staging grounds
Another source said that staging grounds for the offensive are being prepared in the desert areas of Rasafah, on the road between Palmyra to Raqqa, and in Sukhnah, which links Palmyra with Deir Ezzor. Turkish proxies in the governorate of Aleppo, now part of the new Syrian army, would move against SDF positions east of the Euphrates river, near Tishreen Dam, once the multipronged attack begins.
In the past eight years of the Syrian civil war, Turkey had carved out a zone in northern Syria, reliant on rebel allies now in power in Damascus, to limit the territorial expansion of the SDF.
Arab tribesmen, thousands of whom had joined the SDF, would be expected to turn against the group at the start of military action, the source said. Around 30 per cent of the 70,000 core SDF members are members of Arab tribes.
“They have so many scores to settle with the Kurds,” the source said, referring to an SDF land grab of Arab areas since the US set up the Kurdish force in 2015 as the main ground component in the war against ISIS in Syria.
Syrian troops could step in to tackle one of the main obstacles to the new regime in consolidating power. EPA
Even a major advance by the government would leave the SDF with the province of Hasakah, where the Kurdish population is significant. Raqqa and Deir Ezzor are overwhelmingly Arab. The Kurds account for around 10 per cent of Syria’s 23.8 million population, according to the CIA’s World Factbook. However, currently SDF-held areas account for most of Syria’s output of commodities, electrical power, and energy.
US State Department officials have been urging the SDF to compromise, although it is seen as retaining strong support within US security branches. The SDF wants a federal system, an anathema Damascus, and to remain as a single unit, even if it joins the Syrian army.
During the civil war, Russia, Iran, Turkey and the US built their own zones of influence in the country. But only Turkish and American forces have remained in Syria, as well as Russian troops confined to two main bases. Most of an estimated 20,000 Turkish force are deployed near SDF areas, while the 1,000 American troops are mainly on bases within SDF territory.
>>2436075Nah, some factions probably want to but others, such as YPJ, clearly do not.
>>2436073No, you're legitimately retarded. Facebook or something may be more your speed.
Pentagon reveals fragility of transitional government forces, presence of "terrorism" in SyriaAn assessment prepared by the Pentagon for members of the US Congress revealed that the so-called "New Syrian Army" affiliated with the transitional government in Syria lacks a cohesive organizational structure and relies on a fragile and fragmented alliance comprising leaders from Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) and several "extremist Sunni militias."
The report showed that groups designated as dangerous by Washington, such as the Guardians of Religion Organization, have regained significant influence in Damascus despite announcing their dissolution after the fall of the Assad regime. They continue to influence the transitional government's policies, despite previous disagreements between them and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham.
<Strengthening the Influence of the Syrian Democratic ForcesThe detailed report, which consists of approximately 70 pages, indicates that the Pentagon has expressed caution regarding expanding the transitional government's powers or increasing its resources. The report suggests that this situation will likely strengthen the influence of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeast of the country, granting them greater autonomy than ever before.
The report indicates a shift in the US position away from supporting the idea of integrating the SDF with Damascus to ease the burden of protecting it from Turkish threats, emphasizing that preserving the SDF serves US national security interests. The report also clarified that Israel is leaning toward expanding the safety zone on its border with Syria, and perhaps controlling parts of southern Syria, bringing it closer to the capital, Damascus.
<Congressional Concerns and SanctionsThe report raised concerns within Congress about any easing of sanctions imposed on Damascus, making it difficult for the US administration to renew exemptions or allow the implementation of economic memoranda of understanding signed by the transitional government with certain countries.
A report published by Al-Monitor revealed that some followers of the Guardians of Religion Organization are seeking "influence within the new government in Damascus."
According to estimates by US Defense Intelligence Agency officials, groups linked to al-Qaeda continue to operate with a degree of autonomy under the auspices of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, giving former Guardians of Religion mercenaries freedom of movement and the ability to influence the policies of the transitional government in Syria.
The report indicated that US Special Operations Forces have killed dozens of Guardians of Religion mercenaries in drone strikes in northwestern Syria since the group's founding in 2016.
Although Guardians of Religion announced its dissolution after Sharaa came to power in Damascus late last year, all of its members remained outside the operational control of the new administration, nearly seven months after the overthrow of the Baath regime.
The report confirmed continued concerns in Washington about Sharaa's inner circle, even as the US military reduces its presence in Syria and Iraq.
Last May, the transitional government in Syria appointed mercenary Ahmed Ihsan Fayyad al-Hayes as commander of the 86th Army Division, responsible for Deir ez-Zor, Hasaka, and Raqqa.
The United States imposed sanctions on al-Hayes in 2021, accusing him of committing war crimes against Syrian minorities. The US State Department described his appointment at the time as "a serious mistake that the United States does not support."
Last June, Washington's envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, confirmed that the US administration had limited itself to monitoring the activities of foreign fighters and sharing intelligence on them, after withdrawing its demand that al-Sharaa expel all fighters
ANHA
Deir ez-Zor Military Council warns of growing ISIS threat in the region
The Military Council of Deir ez-Zor has warned of a growing threat from the terrorist militia ISIS and other armed groups. Since the beginning of the year, there have been at least 150 attacks on security forces and civilian facilities in the region, commander Abdulkarim Awad Fandi al-Awad told the ANHA news agency. According to him, the targets included military outposts, checkpoints, and public infrastructure. Last month alone, there were more than ten targeted attacks in which six local security forces were killed.
<ISIS changes tactics after phase of reorganization
Al-Awad emphasized that ISIS is exploiting the political instability following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government to regroup. "The terrorists are attacking not only the military and police, but also civilians and public institutions. Behind this is an attempt to regain control of the region and destabilize the population." The rural areas surrounding Deir ez-Zor are particularly affected. The vast areas on both sides of the Euphrates River, with fields and desert areas, offer the extremists places of retreat. ISIS cells can move and operate there undetected.
<Counteroffensive with YPJ participation
An attack about a week ago showed how targeted the groups were: An ISIS unit raided a pharmacy in the village of Garanij where fighters from the Deir ez-Zor Military Council were staying. The four-member group was abducted. The day after the attack, the Military Council launched a large-scale operation in Garanij together with the Women's Defense Units (YPJ). The abducted fighters were freed and twelve suspects with alleged links to ISIS were arrested.
The operation continued into the early hours of August 16. According to Commander al-Awad, extensive weapons and evidence of further cells were seized. The investigation is ongoing.
The Military Council emphasized that the operations to secure the region would be carried out not only militarily, but also with the support of local tribes and the population. “Our goal is to protect the civilian population and prevent ISIS from reestablishing itself permanently in the region,” al-Awad said.
Deir ez-Zor Military Council: 150 attacks against our forces since beginning of year
In an exclusive statement to ANHA Agency, Abdul Karim Oweid Fendi Al-Oweid, a senior commander in the Deir ez-Zor Military Council, provided a detailed briefing on the latest security and military developments in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor, particularly in the eastern region.
He stressed the Council’s readiness to confront any threat aimed at civilians or public facilities, highlighting the sharp increase in ISIS sleeper-cell attacks in recent months.
Al-Oweid stated:"With regard to the current security and military situation in the Deir ez-Zor countryside, we have observed since the beginning of this year a notable rise in ISIS attacks targeting military and security forces, service facilities, and even civilians. The frequency of these assaults has increased, and they are being carried out with new tactics by sleeper cells."
He added: "We believe ISIS has shifted its strategy and tactics following the chaos that accompanied the collapse of the regime. The organization exploited these conditions to regroup, recruit new members, and launch attacks against civilians and both public and military institutions."
The commander further explained:"From our extensive experience in counterterrorism, we know that ISIS sleeper cells are behind the majority of these operations.
The organization has taken advantage of our engagement with Turkish occupation forces to reorganize. Its main objective remains to destabilize the region, instill fear among civilians, and revive its ambition of territorial control."
Al-Oweid pointed to the geographical conditions that ISIS mercenaries exploit: "Deir ez-Zor is a vast desert region. In addition, the Euphrates River and the dense vegetation along its banks provide an environment conducive for concealment and movement beyond surveillance."
He also described a recent abduction of Council fighters in the town of Gharanij:
"On the night of August 14, while a group of our fighters were stationed at a health center in Gharanij, they came under attack by an armed group we strongly suspect was affiliated with ISIS. Several of our fighters were taken hostage. We immediately launched an investigation and identified the area where they had been moved. Our forces carried out an intervention that resulted in clashes, during which one attacker was killed and three others wounded. The following day, in coordination with the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), we conducted a wide-scale combing operation in Gharanij. This led to the liberation of four of our kidnapped fighters and the arrest of 12 individuals suspected of ISIS affiliation."
He noted that the operation "continued through the night until the morning of August 16 and resulted in the seizure of significant quantities of ammunition. Interrogations with the detainees are still underway to determine their involvement in the attacks."
Regarding losses incurred by the Council, Al-Oweid revealed: "Since the beginning of the year, our forces in the Deir ez-Zor area have endured nearly 150 armed attacks by ISIS mercenaries. Just last month alone, in addition to 10 attacks against military and security points, leading to the martyrdom of six of our fighters."
The commander concluded by reaffirming the Council’s commitment to restoring security and stability:
"We remain fully prepared to counter any threat. The recent combing operations have proven effective, as calm has returned to the region following the elimination of several active cells. Our ultimate objective is to protect civilians and prevent ISIS from exploiting any security vacuum or climate of disorder."
Two days earlier, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) issued a statement confirming that "forces of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council, with the participation of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), carried out a wide-scale combing operation in the town of Gharanij," during which "12 gangs were captured in addition to dismantling of ISIS sleeper cells and the liberation of four abducted fighters, emphasizing that the campaign was carried out with the support of local tribes and residents, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security and stability in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.”
>>2439727Mint are prety dogshit on Syria, btw. They're OldBO tier about 'the kurds!!!!1'.
Syria, Israel hold rare talks as Damascus struggles to maintain grip over Druze-majority southERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on Tuesday held a rare meeting with Ron Dermer, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister and top aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Paris. The discussions, reportedly mediated by the US, come as Syria struggles to maintain control over Druze-majority areas in the south, where protesters recently called for separation from the Syrian state.
The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported Tuesday that Shaibani met with “an Israeli delegation” in Paris to “discuss a number of issues related to enhancing stability in the region and southern Syria.” The talks, “held under US mediation,” are “part of diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting security and stability in Syria and preserving its unity and territorial integrity.”
While SANA did not disclose the identities of the Israeli officials involved, Israeli media reported that Shaibani met with Dermer - reports confirmed on Wednesday by another Syrian state outlet, al-Ikhbariya channel.
According to SANA, the discussions centered on “de-escalation, non-interference in internal affairs, reaching understandings that support stability in the region and monitoring the ceasefire in the [predominantly Druze] Suwayda province” in southern Syria.
Clashes broke out on July 13 between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes in Suwayda. The conflict escalated with the involvement of Syrian government forces before a US-brokered ceasefire was announced on July 19.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported in mid-August that the death toll from the Suwayda violence had reached 1,677, including “452 civilians field-executed” by Syrian government forces. The monitor has reported near-daily ceasefire violations since mid-June.
<Israeli roleAmid the Suwayda violence, Israel conducted airstrikes targeting Syrian military and government sites.
Israel’s stated reason for the strikes - which included the bombing of a Syrian defense ministry building in Damascus - was to protect the Druze community, citing deep cultural and familial ties between Israeli and Syrian Druze.
However, beyond humanitarian concerns, Israel's intervention seems to have also been driven by long-standing strategic interests in Syria - particularly its aim to maintain a demilitarized buffer zone in southern Syria near its borders.
In early December, a coalition of opposition forces - then spearheaded by the now-dissolved Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), under Ahmed al-Sharaa, led a swift offensive toppling the regime of longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Sharaa in late January became Syria’s interim president.
Since then, Tel Aviv has intensified efforts to destroy Damascus’s military stockpiles and its forces have entered buffer zones east of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
Israel had captured most of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1974, a US-brokered Disengagement Agreement created a UN-monitored buffer zone to reduce tensions by delineating separation lines between Syrian and Israeli forces without establishing formal peace.
According to SANA, Shaibani’s meeting with the Israeli delegation also discussed “reactivating the 1974 agreement.”
<Backchannel diplomacyDespite being technically at war since 1948, this Paris meeting marks the second recent engagement between Shaibani and Dermer. A previous meeting took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, on July 31, also prompted by the Suwayda unrest.
The Baku talks reportedly included US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, who later confirmed the meeting stating, “Our goal was dialogue and de-escalation, and we accomplished precisely that.”
On Tuesday, Barrack posted a photo on X with Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, who had urged Israeli intervention during the Suwayda clashes. Barrack described their meeting as “warm and informative,” adding: “We discussed the situation in Suwayda and how to bring together the interests of all parties, de-escalate tensions, and build understanding.”
Shaibani’s Paris meeting also followed protests in Suwayda on Saturday, which saw Druze demonstrators wave Israeli flags and call for self-determination. In video footage shared online, some protesters were heard demanding to join Israel.
In response, interim President Sharaa, speaking during a dialogue session with dignitaries from Idlib province late night on Saturday, warned against any movement toward partition.
“We have toppled the [Assad] regime in the battle for the liberation of Syria, and we still have another battle ahead to unify Syria. This must not be with blood and military force,” he said.
Hinting at the Suwayda protests, Sharaa added, “Some parties are trying to seek strength from a regional power - Israel or others. This is a very difficult matter and cannot be implemented.” He called the idea of dividing Syria “impossible.”
In a similar vein, Shaibani and Dermer were cited by the state-run media outlet al-Ikhbariya on Tuesday as reaffirming “commitment to the unity of Syrian territories and rejecting any projects aimed at their division.”
The two sides emphasized that “Suwayda is an integral part of Syria and that the Druze citizens are an authentic part of its national fabric.”
Just in case you guys didn't know, here's how the September parliamentary elections would work:
>parliament has 210 district seats, of which 70 (a third) would be directly appointed by Julani. so only 140 are elected >the way a seat is won via an electoral college system for each district, where a subcommittee appointed by the government (how convenient) chooses a list of local candidates and elects one of them>zero direct votingAll of this is publicly known info.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Syrian_parliamentary_electionNot directly Syria, but part of the PUK that connects Syria, so it's worth to publish it here.
Civil war at the Talabani families.
>Civilians are documenting the chaos from their balconies. Many are calling this a Kurdish Saydiya — a reference to Baghdad’s recent street battles.
>No official comment yet from the Iraqi Joint Command.>Pavel Talabani’s forces have launched a full-scale assault on the residence of Lahur Sheikh Jangi in Sulaymaniyah, deploying helicopters and incendiary bombs against the hotel compound where Sheikh Jangi and 400–500 armed loyalists are holding out.
>Masrour Barzani has warned that the fighting threatens the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region and urged an immediate halt, saying the youth must not be made victims of internal power struggles.
>Lahur released a rooftop video saying: “This may be my last message”.A quick rundown of who
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahur_Talabani is.
>>2442010 (me)
>Lahur Talabani >Pavel Talabanibtw, both figures have a close relationship with the PKK/YPG (seen photographed, assisted to ceremonies, and visited high Syrian-Kurdish figures in North-Eastern Syria). Which is interesting, but Lahur is
more pro-Kurd independence, more autonomous, and even pushing for a more intense co-operation between the SDF and the Iraqi Kurdish forces in Erbil, trying to lay the ground for a future Kurdistan. If Lahur is killed, all of that is gone.
Is Ankara behind this feud? note that Qubad Talabani is out of the picture (for now), and he was the less affectionate Iraqi-Kurdish Talabani politician towards the SDF.
>>2442010Does anyone have a decent rundown of what the power dynamics and so on at an international level are at play here? What's the Turkish involvement?
From this morning:
Former PUK co-chair Lahur Şêx Cengi taken into custodyFormer PUK co-chair and the head of Berey Gel (People’s Front), Lahur Şêx Cengi (also spelled Lahur Sheikh Jangi Talabani), was taken into custody in Sulaymaniyah.
Cengiwas detained by Sulaymaniyah security forces along with his brothers, Polad Şêx Cengi and Aso Şêx Cengi.
It is reported that clashes began at 3:00 a.m. and lasted for 4 hours.
A warrant for the arrest of Cengi was issued on Thursday evening on the grounds of “disrupting security and stability.”
>>2442184As I understand from my years following the events in Iraq, Turkey had mixed feelings about these events: the take over of Jalal Talabani as Iraqi president, then got angry that the PUK participated in the reinvigoration of the PKK political forces inside Iraq after Saddam was gone, with subsequent military incursions inside Iraq and bombed positions of the Kurds inside Iraq. Once the Talabani father died, the once president of Iraq by de-facto ruler appointed by the US through the "Interim Iraq Governing Council", it began a power struggle between the Talabanis, Lahur and Pavel. The former being the most PKK friendly of all of the Talabani family.
I am sure, because of the factions affected, that what is going on is the erasure of the potential supporters of the PKK in Iraq, which undoubtedly will weaken the Kurds position in Syria, too, and might be the results of Turkey pressure inside Iraq.
With the fall of Assad in Syria, and the weakening of Hezbollah, one could see that the factions in Iraq could've felt more relaxed to act on behest of Turkey's demands, but all of this are pure guesses.
Where does Barzani stands in all of this? he's a fervent Turkish lover, with economic, energy, and even security ties with Ankara. He's the antithesis of the dream of a Kurdistan, so if I were to throw a long stretched guess, yes, Ankara is behind these clashes. Only time will tell.
This is an interesting video from when the siege of Tishrin dam was going on. Footage and interviews with fighters.
>>2443044Thanks.
>>2443867Unluckily for you nobody with any relevance is petitioning you for your opinion on the matter, anon. Try actually reading the work of the flag you LARP.
Focusing on the essence of the conflict in SulaymaniyahClashes broke out between internal security forces and Lahur Sheikh Jangi’s forces in Sulaymaniyah city center early Friday morning. As a result of the confrontation, which lasted four hours, Lahur and his brothers Aso and Polad were taken into custody. However, the contradictions between the two sides will continue to be on the Kurdish agenda for a long time to come.
For a period, Bafel Talabani and Lahur served as co-chairs of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Tensions between the two escalated in the following period. In fact, it was this contradiction and power-sharing issue that led them to serve as co-chairs of the party. As tensions deepened, Lahur left the PUK and formed a new political party called Bereyi Gel (People's Front). Although it did not achieve significant success in the 2024 local elections, it managed to secure two seats in parliament. However, the tension between Lahur and the Talabanis did not end. Both sides continued to accuse each other. It was also noteworthy that Lahur established his party in Hewlêr (Erbil) after he left the PUK.
The Sulaymaniyah security forces demanded Lahur's surrender in line with a court ruling issued one day before the start of the operation on the grounds that Lahur was allegedly preparing a coup. Lahur, however, stated that he had not received any court ruling.
Of course, we cannot know the inside of the affair. However, it has been rumored for some time that Lahur has been trying to form a peshmerga force affiliated with his party, and that the PUK is very uncomfortable with this. Both sides have been engaging in mutual smear campaigns in the press from time to time. However, no one expected things to reach this point until recently. Another claim that has been circulating in recent days is that Lahur Sheikh Jangi was planning a coup. Some well-known figures in Bashur (South Kurdistan) politics were even mentioned in connection with Lahur. When the other side made the move, Lahur and his brothers came to the forefront, while the other names are not being uttered for now.
As of today, we are no longer talking about behind-the-scenes information, tension, etc., but rather about the conflict between the parties. Sulaymaniyah turned into a war zone from Thursday night to Friday morning. Security measures, which had been intensified at the city's entry and exit points in the evening, were extended into the city center. By 3:30 a.m., the tense wait gave way to clashes. The skies over Sulaymaniyah echoed with gunfire, and the streets and alleys were filled with the smell of gunpowder. Lahur's house in the Sarchinar neighborhood and the Lalezar Hotel, which belongs to Lahur and is located in the same area, were surrounded by security forces. As clashes intensified in the area where Lahur was located, forces loyal to him launched a drone attack on the Dabashan area, where the Talabani family's home is located. During the four-hour attack, four security personnel were reported killed in official statements. No information has been provided regarding the number of casualties among Lahur's forces.
So, what is the problem? At the root of inter-party conflicts in South Kurdistan lies a struggle for political power and authority. Capital plays a pivotal role in the consolidation of political power. When armed forces are added, a situation of power spreading across all areas of life becomes inevitable. Indeed, the underlying motive behind the tensions between political parties has never been the establishment of a more democratic system. Despite having a federal status and a parliament, power is divided among the parties, meaning that it is not the parliament that holds sway in regional governance, but rather the political parties that wield power.
The root cause of the problem is the absence of a constitution, a common political mind, a functioning parliament, and the politics and mindset focused on the common interests of the country and its people. This situation has led to the division of the federal region into different administrative centers. To such an extent that a few years ago, the PUK submitted an application to Baghdad and asked for autonomy for Sulaymaniyah. As a result of this fragmentation, the KDP-PUK effectively govern the areas under their control as two separate governments. They have their own peshmerga forces, intelligence services, special forces, and security forces.
As a result, a structure emerges that is oriented toward common goals, governed by its own laws and regulations, and lacking any center of accountability or oversight; characterized by partisan domination and self-interest. The growing problems inevitably lead to party dominance, economic interests, and the military power that these necessitate. Consequently, in regions where there are no fair courts or justice, tensions based on the desire to hold power escalate into armed conflicts. The reality that power cannot be seized democratically makes the opposite inevitable. This situation paves the way for all kinds of factionalism, polarization, rent-seeking, and corruption. In a place where political power is divided among cronies, it is certain that the system will not be democratic and will not prioritize the interests of the people and society.
It is necessary to look at the problems from the perspective of the linked forces involved. The events in Sulaymaniyah were sad for all Kurds. However, there are undoubtedly those who rejoiced. Who are these forces? This is one of the main questions.
There is no doubt that those who derive power from the fragmentation and internal conflicts of the Kurds are satisfied with the current situation and are encouraging further conflict. They are deepening these contradictions in Bashur and deriving power from their transformation into conflict. It therefore seems extremely unlikely that the political contradictions leading to conflict will not have external connections. In fact, the influence of these forces must definitely be taken into account behind the dysfunctional parliament, the unwritten constitution, and the deepening partisanship mentioned above. As long as Bashur politics fails to overcome this internal fragmentation, it will always be prone to such provoked conflicts.
As a result, rather than getting bogged down in the details of last night's clashes in Bashur Kurdistan and missing the essence of the problem by focusing on who did what and who said what, it is best to focus on the mindset behind the issue, the distorted system and administrative structure, and try to identify the root cause of the problem. As long as this is not done, and as long as every party in the region has its own military force and administrative authority, there will be no room for the development of any alternative or democratic power. Moreover, in a system where even civil society organizations take shape as formations affiliated with political parties, it is impossible for a movement on behalf of the people to develop. As long as the mentality of grabbing a share of the pie, whose distribution is not even guaranteed, prevails, it is inevitable that internal tensions will turn into greater conflicts. The opposite would be contrary to the nature of things. Perhaps those in power may change places; those who today call themselves the opposition (which is certainly not an opposition acting on behalf of the people) may come to power tomorrow. However, structural problems will continue to persist, growing more complex and intractable.
<Source: Yeni Özgür Politika DAANES: Elections are neither democratic nor reflective of the will of the Syrian peopleThe Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) released a statement regarding the so-called "People's Assembly elections," scheduled to be held by the transitional government in Syria next September. The North and East Syria region and Suwayda have been excluded from these elections.
The DAANES statement on Sunday includes the following:
“All the steps taken since the fall of the Assad regime until today—the National Dialogue Conference, the formation of the Interim Government, the declaration of the constitution, and now the announcement of parliamentary elections in Syria—have contradicted the goals of the Syrian revolution, which called for justice, democracy, equality, and freedom for all components of Syria. Syrians have made sacrifices for true citizenship rights, foremost among them the right to free and fair candidacy and elections.
Yet, we see history repeating itself, as this right is once again stripped away from all Syrians. These elections are neither democratic nor reflective of the will of the Syrian people in any form, but rather a continuation of the marginalization and exclusion that Syrians have suffered for the past 62 years under Ba’ath rule.
The conduct of what is called “elections” at this time excludes nearly half of the Syrian people from the process—whether through forced displacement or through systematic policies that prevent the participation of communities and active forces in shaping the country’s future. This very exclusion is clear evidence that what is being presented as elections is nothing more than a formal step that does not meet the requirements of a comprehensive political solution needed by Syrians.
We would also like to stress that labeling our regions as “unsafe” to justify the denial of the rights of more than five million Syrians is baseless. Compared to other parts of Syria, the regions of North and East Syria are the safest.
As an inseparable part of Syria and its people, we reject any measures or decisions imposed with a unilateral mindset that disregards the sacrifices and legitimate rights of all components. Any decision taken in such an exclusionary approach will neither concern us nor be considered binding on the peoples and regions of North and East Syria. We call on the international community and the United Nations not to recognize these elections, which are in direct contradiction to Resolution 2254.
Finally, we reaffirm that the solution in Syria will not come through reproducing the same old policies, but rather through a comprehensive political process in which all Syrians, with their diverse components and free will, participate—leading to a democratic, pluralistic, and decentralized Syria that guarantees rights and opens horizons for peace and stability.”
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