Syrian Government Forces Seize Northern Towns After Kurdish Fighters Withdraw in Hasty Retreat
In a sudden and swift move, Syrian government forces have entered two northern towns, Deir Hafer and Maskana, after the command of Kurdish-led fighters announced they would evacuate the area. The sudden shift came after US military officials visited Deir Hafer on Friday and held talks with SDF officials in the area.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing government tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other vehicles, including pickup trucks with heavy machine guns mounted on top, entering Deir Hafer after bulldozers removed barriers. There was no SDF presence on the edge of the town.
The Syrian military said its forces were in full control of Deir Hafer, captured the Jarrah air base to the east, and were in the process of clearing mines and explosives. However, the move has been criticized by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who claimed that Damascus violated the terms of an agreement reached with them.
The SDF said that according to an agreement, Syrian forces were supposed to enter Deir Hafer and Maskana after the Kurdish-led force ended their withdrawal. "Damascus violated the terms of the agreement and entered the towns before our fighters had fully withdrawn, creating a highly dangerous situation with potentially serious repercussions," the SDF said.
Over the past two days, more than 11,000 people fled Deir Hafer and Maskana using side roads to reach government-controlled areas, after the government announced an offensive to take the towns. The easing of tension came after US military officials visited Deir Hafer on Friday and held talks with SDF officials in the area.
The Syrian government has been making significant gains in northern Syria in recent weeks, with forces capturing several key towns and cities from Kurdish-led fighters. However, the conflict in Syria remains complex and multifaceted, with various factions and actors vying for power and influence.
In a related development, the interim President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, issued a decree on Friday boosting the rights of the country's Kurds, who made up about 10% of Syria's population before the conflict began in 2011. The decree recognized Kurdish as a national language, along with Arabic, and adopted the Newroz festival, a traditional celebration of spring and renewal marked by Kurds around the region, as an official holiday.
However, the Kurdish-led authority in northeast Syria said that the rights of Kurds should not be protected by "temporary decrees" but by mentioning them in the country's constitution. It added that a decree "does not form a real guarantee for rights of Syria's ethnic groups."
In a sudden and swift move, Syrian government forces have entered two northern towns, Deir Hafer and Maskana, after the command of Kurdish-led fighters announced they would evacuate the area. The sudden shift came after US military officials visited Deir Hafer on Friday and held talks with SDF officials in the area.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing government tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other vehicles, including pickup trucks with heavy machine guns mounted on top, entering Deir Hafer after bulldozers removed barriers. There was no SDF presence on the edge of the town.
The Syrian military said its forces were in full control of Deir Hafer, captured the Jarrah air base to the east, and were in the process of clearing mines and explosives. However, the move has been criticized by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who claimed that Damascus violated the terms of an agreement reached with them.
The SDF said that according to an agreement, Syrian forces were supposed to enter Deir Hafer and Maskana after the Kurdish-led force ended their withdrawal. "Damascus violated the terms of the agreement and entered the towns before our fighters had fully withdrawn, creating a highly dangerous situation with potentially serious repercussions," the SDF said.
Over the past two days, more than 11,000 people fled Deir Hafer and Maskana using side roads to reach government-controlled areas, after the government announced an offensive to take the towns. The easing of tension came after US military officials visited Deir Hafer on Friday and held talks with SDF officials in the area.
The Syrian government has been making significant gains in northern Syria in recent weeks, with forces capturing several key towns and cities from Kurdish-led fighters. However, the conflict in Syria remains complex and multifaceted, with various factions and actors vying for power and influence.
In a related development, the interim President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, issued a decree on Friday boosting the rights of the country's Kurds, who made up about 10% of Syria's population before the conflict began in 2011. The decree recognized Kurdish as a national language, along with Arabic, and adopted the Newroz festival, a traditional celebration of spring and renewal marked by Kurds around the region, as an official holiday.
However, the Kurdish-led authority in northeast Syria said that the rights of Kurds should not be protected by "temporary decrees" but by mentioning them in the country's constitution. It added that a decree "does not form a real guarantee for rights of Syria's ethnic groups."
This is getting really intense! I feel bad for those 11,000 people who had to flee their homes in such a short time 
. The SDF is right to be upset about the Syrian government violating the agreement - it's just not fair 
. But at the same time, it's good that the US military officials are talking to both sides and trying to ease tensions 
.
, but like the SDF said, a constitution change is what's really needed for real guarantees 
. The Syrian conflict is so complex, it's hard to keep up with everything 
. Can we just hope that everyone stays safe and gets what they need? 
... anyway, back to Syria... I don't get why they're always fighting over the same old stuff. Can't they all just get along and have a nice cup of joe together? 
️ Like, seriously, what's the big deal about oil and who gets to control it? My aunt went on vacation to Turkey last year and she said the food was amazing...
like what's going on is crazy the kurdish led fighters are just withdrawing and the gov forces are swooping in it's like they're taking advantage of the situation who knows what's gonna happen to the people living there 
i mean, the US is getting involved and the gov is making gains but like who's really in control here?
it's about time we recognize the diversity of syrian culture right? 
, and now it's anyone's guess what happens next.
. The fact that the Syrian forces moved in without giving the Kurdish fighters time to withdraw is definitely a major concern 
.
.
. And don't even get me started on that visit from US military officials - was that some kind of setup to make Damascus look good for the cameras? 
I'm kinda surprised they finally took control of those towns, you know? I mean, it's been ages since Kurdish fighters were in charge and things seemed pretty unpredictable. Maybe this is the start of something new? 
Those US military officials showing up made a big difference, right? It's always good to see international involvement helping to stabilize the situation. And hey, at least Syria's interim president acknowledged the Kurds' rights in that decree... that's a step forward, right? 
Plus, who knows, maybe this means more progress on the constitution front? Fingers crossed! 
.
but let's be real, they've been making gains in northern syria for weeks so this isn't exactly a surprise. still, it's interesting to see how ahmed al-sharaa's decree boosted the rights of kurdish citizens - could that be a sign of things to come? 
11k people flees too, that's crazy 
