Shafaq News- Damascus

Clashes erupted across several areas in northern Syria on Saturday night during Nowruz celebrations, the Kurdish new year, following incidents involving national symbols and attacks on civilians, according to Shafaq News correspondent.

The unrest began in Kobani after a man removed the Syrian flag during a public celebration, triggering retaliatory incidents in other areas, particularly in Afrin and parts of the Aleppo countryside. Kurdish celebrants were reportedly assaulted, while Kurdistan flags were removed from vehicles and desecrated.

In Qamishli, protesters stormed a public security building, vandalized vehicles, and took down the Syrian flag. Internal security forces deployed in force, securing the airport perimeter and blocking roads leading to security facilities to contain the situation.

Presidential team spokesperson Ahmad al-Hilali, in remarks carried by local media outlets, condemned attacks on national symbols and rejected retaliatory violence against civilians, stressing that only state institutions are authorized to hold violators accountable.

The Kurdish National Council also denounced the incidents as “a threat to coexistence and an attempt to incite division,” urging authorities to act swiftly to restore order.

Security forces announced the arrest of the individual involved in the Kobani incident and denounced the broader attacks as attempts to destabilize the region.