Syria’s president calls for Kurdish integration as army sends reinforcements east of Aleppo, following deadly clashes and a stalled autonomy deal
ALEPPO: Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has renewed calls for the country’s Kurds to integrate into the state. His appeal comes as the Syrian army deployed reinforcements near a Kurdish-held area east of Aleppo following recent deadly clashes.
In excerpts from an interview, Sharaa stated that “protecting the Kurdish population requires integration into the new reality, as the Syrian state represents a significant asset for them”. The government is seeking to extend its authority nationwide after the ouster of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad a year ago.
Progress on folding the Kurds’ de facto autonomous administration into the central government has stalled despite a deal reached in March. Differences between the two sides have occasionally boiled over into fighting.
The Syrian army earlier urged civilians to stay away from all Kurdish military positions east of Aleppo. It announced that “a humanitarian corridor will be opened towards the city” on Thursday morning until the afternoon.
State television on Tuesday published an army statement declaring a large area east of Aleppo city a “closed military zone”. It demanded that “all armed groups in this area must withdraw to the east of the Euphrates” River.
State news agency SANA published images on Wednesday showing military reinforcements en route to the area from the coastal province of Latakia. A military source said reinforcements were arriving from both Latakia and the Damascus region.
Both sides reported limited skirmishes overnight. Kurdish forces accused government troops of bombing a post office, a bakery and other civilian facilities in Deir Hafer.
An AFP correspondent on the outskirts of Deir Hafer reported hearing intermittent shelling on Wednesday. The military source said this was the government targeting positions held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The SDF controls swathes of the country’s oil-rich north and northeast. On Monday, Syria accused the SDF of sending reinforcements to Deir Hafer and said it would send its own personnel there in response.
Kurdish forces denied any build-up of their personnel and accused the government of attacking the town. Elham Ahmad, a senior Kurdish official, accused government forces of “preparing themselves for another attack” and breaking the March agreement.
In his interview, Sharaa accused the SDF of having “a clear and public connection to Qandil”. This refers to the mountain range in northern Iraq where the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is headquartered.
The United States urged all parties to “avoid actions that could further escalate tensions”. Sharaa said Washington “is clearly and explicitly pushing for the unity of Syrian territory and giving Syria a chance to rebuild”.
He accused the SDF of “going against all these currents”. Turkey, a key backer of Damascus, has long been hostile to the SDF, seeing it as an extension of the PKK.
