SDF warns of “war” as Damascus forces push escalation
Shafaq News– Damascus
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) accused Damascus on Saturday of violating the ceasefire agreement and moving toward military escalation in northeastern Syria.
In a statement, the SDF said the Syrian government has continued “in a systematic manner” with military build-ups and logistical movements in the Jazira and Kobani regions, describing the activity as evidence of “an intent to escalate and push the region toward a new confrontation.”
SDF forces, it added, came under attack earlier on Saturday in two separate incidents in the Jazira region, calling the assaults “a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement.” It stressed that its units “have adhered to, and continue to adhere to,” the truce, while accusing Damascus of acting in “complete contradiction” to its obligations and attempting to steer the situation “toward war instead of political solutions.”
The Kurdish group urged the international community and relevant parties to exert urgent efforts to ensure compliance with the ceasefire and prevent further escalatory steps that could threaten stability in the region.
In a separate incident detailed in another statement, two SDF fighters were wounded in a drone attack carried out by Damascus-aligned factions on the village of Al-Safa, Hasakah province. The force said its units managed to shoot down another drone during the attack.
The Syrian government has not commented on the SDF’s accusations as of publication.
The remarks coincide with heightened tensions in northeastern Syria, where clashes between SDF and Syrian government-aligned forces have continued despite a four-day ceasefire set to expire on Saturday, extending to ISIS detention facilities previously under SDF control. Shafaq News correspondent reported that a fragile calm prevailed along front lines in the countryside of Hasakah today, with Kurdish-led forces saying they were “prepared for all scenarios.”
Earlier today, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the North and East Syria Region (AANES) cautioned that Kobani city is facing a “suffocating siege” that threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians, calling on the international community, the United Nations, and humanitarian and human rights organizations to intervene.
