With the arrival of Joe Biden in the White House, there has been an upsurge in SDF activity in northern Syria.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is an opposition group composed of predominantly Kurdish rebels, which is widely supported by the U.S.-led international coalition. Despite the changes in the new U.S. administration headed by Joe Biden, the SDF continues to sabotage all means of reaching an agreement with the government of Bashar Assad.
They have just surrounded all the areas under their control in Hassaké and Qamichli and have closed the entrances and exits leading to the territories controlled by the Syrian army, thus depriving them of food. In addition, a dozen civilians were arrested.
The FDS claims that these measures are a result of the blockade of the villages of Tall Rifaat, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafeyah in Aleppo by the Syrian army. However, official sources of information deny this version of the facts.
The new actions of the FDS in Hassaké and Qamichli are said to be in response to orders from Washington, which pursue three objectives: 1 – the complete halt of the pumping of oil to the regions under the control of the Syrian army; 2 – the conclusion of inter-Kurdish talks; 3 – the reduction of tensions with Turkey.
In the Syrian North, the city of Hassaké and the surrounding villages are still deprived of drinking water supplies due to the stoppage by the Turkish occupying forces of the Allouk water station located in the occupied zone of Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ain).
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), close to the opposition, the security crisis of the FDS began at the same time as the military crisis. This Saturday, violent clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces resulted in injuries in Qamichli in northeastern Syria.
These clashes lasted for several hours, and it was with the mediation of Russian forces that calm was restored in Qamishli. According to the OSDH, the two cities of Hassaké and Qamichli are still experiencing the crisis with incessant mobilization as Kurdish forces continue to besiege the areas controlled by the Syrian army and the security posts.
“The Russian forces are trying to settle the disputes of the autonomous government in the north and east of Syria with the Syrian army, but their efforts have come to nothing,” the OSDH said.
Observers believe that the SDF is taking new actions to secure Israel’s interests and strategically speaking, sabotage the relations between Syria and Iraq and prevent the situation in Syria from improving.
Thus, the actions of the FDS, Turkey’s actions in northern Syria and the failure of Russian mediation to reach an agreement with Damascus, despite the latter’s flexibility, reflect the dangerous approach of the Kurds and their willingness to implement the dictates of the new US administration.
by Basit Abbasi – CCTV