Syrian government forces and affiliated militias launched a deadly attack on two villages in Deir ez-Zor (Dêrezor) in the northeast of the country on Friday, killing 11 civilians, including six children. The villages of al-Dahalah (El Dehla) and Jadeed Bakara (Cedîde Begara) were targeted in a night-time assault, leading to widespread outrage and protests in the region.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) condemned the attack, stating that it had been carried out by government forces with support from pro-government National Defence (Difa al-Watani) militias. The attack, which occurred around 2.30am, involved heavy bombardment from a base in the village of al-Bulail (El Bû Lêl). The SDF’s statement confirmed that the fatalities included entire families, with many others severely injured.
In response, protests were held condemning the Syrian government’s actions, by residents of al-Hawl (Hol) town in the Jazira (Cizîrê) Canton, under the Kurdish-led Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), alongside members of the Social Defence Forces (Hêzên Parastina Cîvîk or HPC). Heter al-Kemer, Co-chair of HPC al-Hawl, read a statement on behalf of the protesters, denouncing the attack as an intelligence operation led by the head of the Syrian Intelligence Directorate and expressing solidarity with the SDF. “We, the people of al-Hawl, stand against these attacks and support the SDF,” he said.
Since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement in late June in which he said “There is no reason not to establish relations with Syria,” marking the start of a rapprochement between the two couintries, the Syrian government has escalated its attacks against the Kurdish self-administration region.
