Clashes have broken out between Syrian troops and Kurdish forces in the country's north, despite a withdrawal deal that had been agreed upon. The situation has become increasingly tense as both sides accuse each other of violating the agreement.
Syrian troops swept through towns in the region, which were supposed to be withdrawn by Kurdish fighters, but instead advanced deeper into Kurdish-held territory. This led to clashes with Kurdish forces, who accused the Syrian army of pushing into areas not included in the withdrawal deal.
Kurdish authorities have ordered a curfew in the Raqqa region until further notice due to government advances and threats of bombing sites in the area. The city of Tabqa has been designated as a "closed military zone" by the Syrian army, which has also begun entering the city via various axes.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has urged Syrian government forces to cease their advance, citing that aggressively pursuing ISIS and applying military pressure requires teamwork among Syrian partners. However, US envoy Tom Barrack travelled to Erbil in northern Iraq on Saturday to meet with Kurdish leaders to try and end the fighting.
Weeks of tensions between Syrian troops and Kurdish forces have deepened the fault-line between the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa and local Kurdish authorities. The two sides had engaged in talks last year to integrate Kurdish-run military and civilian bodies into Syrian state institutions, but progress has been slow.
The conflict has led to mass displacement for Syrians, with nearly 1,500 Alawites killed by government-aligned forces in western Syria and hundreds of Druze killed in southern Syria. Arab tribal leaders in SDF-held territory have threatened to take up arms against the Kurdish force if Syria's army issues orders to do so.
The situation remains volatile, with both sides trading blame for breaking the withdrawal deal. The conflict highlights the deep-seated divisions between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, which are deeply entrenched in the country's history and politics.
Syrian troops swept through towns in the region, which were supposed to be withdrawn by Kurdish fighters, but instead advanced deeper into Kurdish-held territory. This led to clashes with Kurdish forces, who accused the Syrian army of pushing into areas not included in the withdrawal deal.
Kurdish authorities have ordered a curfew in the Raqqa region until further notice due to government advances and threats of bombing sites in the area. The city of Tabqa has been designated as a "closed military zone" by the Syrian army, which has also begun entering the city via various axes.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has urged Syrian government forces to cease their advance, citing that aggressively pursuing ISIS and applying military pressure requires teamwork among Syrian partners. However, US envoy Tom Barrack travelled to Erbil in northern Iraq on Saturday to meet with Kurdish leaders to try and end the fighting.
Weeks of tensions between Syrian troops and Kurdish forces have deepened the fault-line between the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa and local Kurdish authorities. The two sides had engaged in talks last year to integrate Kurdish-run military and civilian bodies into Syrian state institutions, but progress has been slow.
The conflict has led to mass displacement for Syrians, with nearly 1,500 Alawites killed by government-aligned forces in western Syria and hundreds of Druze killed in southern Syria. Arab tribal leaders in SDF-held territory have threatened to take up arms against the Kurdish force if Syria's army issues orders to do so.
The situation remains volatile, with both sides trading blame for breaking the withdrawal deal. The conflict highlights the deep-seated divisions between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, which are deeply entrenched in the country's history and politics.
This whole thing is super messy, fam! It feels like nobody's on the same page anymore 
. We gotta think about it as a Venn diagram: 
See, the Syrian government is moving forward like they own the place 
. Meanwhile, the Kurds are all like "hey, we agreed to withdraw" 
. It's like they're playing a game of "dodge the blame" 
. And then you got the US trying to intervene, but it's hard when both sides are fighting each other 
.
. It's gonna take a lot of effort to get them back on track 
.
... It's like they're stuck in a never-ending loop of mistrust and violence. I mean, who wants to keep fighting over areas that were supposed to be safe zones? 
...
. It feels like they're just stuck in this never-ending cycle of violence and blame-shifting. I mean, they had a deal, but now it's all falling apart 
. It's like, can't we all just get along? 
. But I do hope that US envoy Tom Barrack is able to do some damage control in Erbil - it's like, someone needs to bring some peace to this chaotic situation 
and honestly I just don't know what's going to happen next 
like how US CENTCOM is suddenly an expert on teamwork? 
Tom Barrack's trip to Erbil doesn't seem to be making much of a difference, does it? 
The Syrian government's not even bothering to listen to the Americans anymore. And honestly, who can blame the Kurds for feeling disrespected and threatened? 
that can't be trusted.
.
... Like, who swept through towns first? Syrian troops or Kurdish fighters? And then there's this whole thing about the withdrawal deal being broken... it's all so muddled 
... I've got all these countries and cities scribbled out in my notebook, trying to keep track of who's fighting where, but it's like trying to fold a fitted sheet 
... The more I read, the more confused I get.
... Or maybe I'm just too tired 
... Anyone else feeling me on this?
I guess that's just too much to hope for right now 
Meanwhile, the US is trying to intervene, but they're basically just talking to themselves... CENTCOM says Syrian forces should stop advancing, but when are they going to actually do something? 
I'm not surprised at all that this is happening again. It feels like we're stuck in a never-ending cycle of violence in Syria.