What is background to recent events in Al-Hasakah, Qamishlo?

The Damascus government forces have been tightening the siege on al-Shahba canton, in addition to provocative attempts in the Jazira region, so what is the backgrounds?

For a long time, the Damascus government has pursued a dirty policy against the people of the northeast of Syria, in particular the Afrin IDPs in the al-Shahba areas, following the Turkish aggression on January 20, 2018. It has prevented aid and foodstuffs sent by the Autonomous Administration of North and East establishes Syria (AANES) from entering the region.

Recently, it has tightened the siege on the displaced from Afrin, since more than a month ago, pursuing a policy that is in harmony with the Turkish occupation state one that occupied Afrin and displaced its people.

The IDPs, human rights organizations and the AANES confirm that this policy is far from moral and human values.

In addition to this, Al-Hasakah and Qamishlo in the Jazira region have recently witnessed security tensions between the Internal Security Forces (Asayîş) and the National Defense elements (NDM) of the Syrian government, against the background of provocations by government elements, the elements of the National Defense, In conjunction with the continuation the unjust siege on al-Shahba canton, and the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo.

'Causes'

On January 2nd, clashes erupted between the National Defense Forces on one side and members of the security forces linked to the Damascus government in the city of Al-Hasakah, resulting in the death of two civilians, a child and more than 20 civilians were of light and medium injuries, after a member of the National Defense threw a hand grenade on the citizens.

On the next day, members of the security branches of the government arrested a number of Qamishlo people, and the Asayîş intervened, after that, clashes continued for several hours.

After that, the NDF began firing shots almost daily on civilians in Halako neighborhood on the Southern Belt in Qamishlo city, targeting civilians' cars, the most recent of which was on January 23, when they fired at civilian homes, and an exchange of fire occurred between them and the security forces.

In addition to the provocations by members of the security branches of the Damascus governments and the National Defense militia and extort the citizens who go to the National Hospital in the city of Qamishlo, located near the airport and controlled by Damascus forces.

On January 26, the government forces shot a Saba taxi, passing by the Qamishlo airport checkpoint.

The provocations are not new, despite the Damascus government pledges to rein in their national defense personnel, the latest, on April 4, 2020, the Damascus government forces targeted an emergency team of the Crisis Cell, sterilizing the city against the coronavirus spike, as a result, one of them was killed, and the Russian forces intervened, and the Damascus government forces pledged to dissolve the elements of the National Defense, but this was unmet.

Following the recent developments, the Internal Security Forces imposed a siege on the security square in each of Qamishlo and Al-Hasakah.

Who attacked the checkpoint of the Asayîş?

The government security branches forced the employees of the civil institutions and some of their affiliates on January 27 to go a demonstration in the security square in Al-Hasakah, and the members of the government and NDFs wore in civil uniforms, but the videos went viral on social media platforms, proved all the claims of its media outlets were lies, as the videos show people carrying automatic weapons and pistols in civilian clothes.

One of the demonstrators, spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of losing his job in the water department of the Damascus government, said: “We have been demanded to join the gathering, otherwise, be fired, so all employees joined, even those on leave. "

The employee explained that "the claims of the government about a siege on the people are untrue. Rather, it is a siege on its security and military forces within the security square in both Qamishlo and Hasakah, and it came as a result of the barbaric policy pursued by its forces and members of the National Defense against civilians, arresting youths and harassing the people."

After the gathering that took place in the security square in the city of Hasaka, members of the government security forces and the National Defense, in civilian clothes and heavily armed, attacked a checkpoint of the Asayîş, who fired shots in the air, and the videos circulated on social media prove that.

He confirmed that “the people were directed to attack the checkpoint of the Internal Security Forces by the security branches, and most of them, were members of the regime and the National Defense.” He explained, “And to disperse them, the Asayish forces fired in the air, that's all that happened.”

'falsifying facts'

It is noteworthy that the Damascus government media is trying to incite public opinion through allegations, such as its claim that the siege was imposed on civilians, in addition to trying to create a strife between the Kurds and the Arabs, as it did on March 12, 2004.

'Al Shahba'

What is more, the Damascus government is practicing policies consistent the Turkish occupation state, which occupied several regions in NE Syria, such as Afrin, Girê Spi and Tal Abyad, as it imposes an unfair siege on al-Shahba area that houses forcibly displaced, following the Turkish aggression on Afrin. On January 20, 2018, the number of which is more than two hundred thousand civilians, food and daily necessities, and fuel are forbidden to enter them.

The AANES seeks to break its siege and deliver aid and food to al-Shahba area, who do not receive any support from humanitarian and international organizations, and as long as the Damascus government continues its siege, it is not possible to lift the siege on the security centers of the Damascus government in the cities of Qamishlo and Al-Hasakah.

(A)

ANHA


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