Security

Russia attempts to calm tensions between Kurds and Syrian government

Russian forces have contacted the Kurdish Asayish forces in Qamishlo to calm down the situation between Damascus and the Kurds.

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2022/04/11 13:35

A Russian military patrol in northern Syria (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

Syria Internal Security Forces Russia Syria Aleppo Qamishlo Sheikh Maqsoud

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Russian forces have contacted the Kurdish Asayish forces in Qamishlo to calm the situation after tensions between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces increased, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) war monitor reported on Sunday.

The Kurdish Asayish (Internal Security Forces) besieged the Syrian government's Al-Baath bakery Qamishlo on Apr. 9 in response to the Syrian government's blockade of Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo.

Moreover, SOHR reported that the Asayish blocked the roads leading to the center of Qamishlo and prevented the entry of food supplies and flour into the security square where the government forces are.

The Asayish also blocked the highway to the airport and expelled workers of the Syrian government's Al-Ba'ath bakery.

There are also reports that the Asayish cordoned off Syrian government forces in Hasakah city.

It's not the first time Russia has intervened after clashes between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces.

Moscow has often tried to mediate between Damascus and the Kurds to reach a political agreement.

Russia also has a military presence at Qamishlo airport.

A few days after Turkey's assault against Syrian Kurds in October 2019, the Kurds reached a deal with Damascus brokered by Russia allowing Russian and Syrian forces to deploy to enter northern Syria.

This came after the US initially withdrew forces from northeast Syria in October 2019. But later, the US kept troops to continue the fight against ISIS in the provinces of Hasakah and Deir al-Zor.

Despite Russian mediation, talks between the Syrian government and the Syrian Kurds on decentralization failed in the past, with the Kurds accusing Damascus of being stuck in its old pre-2011 authoritarian mindset.