Arab Protesters Attack Kurdish Residents as Hasakah Tensions Rise
Security forces have restored calm in Hasakah after Arab protesters attacked Kurdish residents, damaged vehicles and chanted anti-Kurdish slogans, prompting fears of wider ethnic clashes.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Security forces have brought Hasakah under control after Arab protesters attacked Kurdish residents and damaged vehicles during a wave of unrest that raised fears of wider ethnic confrontation in the multi-ethnic city, according to Kurdistan24's correspondent Ekrem Saleh on the ground.
The tensions began Thursday when a number of Arab residents from the Ghweiran neighborhood and nearby villages demonstrated toward central Hasakah and the Justice Palace while carrying Syrian government flags.
According to Kurdistan24's correspondent, Kurdish residents were attacked near the city's main roundabout and bus terminal during the protest.
Some demonstrators also chanted anti-Kurdish slogans, tore down a billboard displaying images of fallen members of the Internal Security Forces, known as Asayish, and threw stones at vehicles belonging to Kurdish residents.
The incidents prompted Kurdish youths from several neighborhoods, including Tel Hajar, to take to the streets.
Those involved said they were mobilizing to protect their neighborhoods and the safety of Kurdish residents amid fears that the unrest could spread.
Internal Security Forces responded with a large deployment across Hasakah, positioning personnel at intersections, public squares and entrances linking different neighborhoods.
Roads were closed and tighter security restrictions were introduced in an effort to prevent direct confrontations between Kurdish and Arab residents.
By Friday, the situation had calmed considerably, according to information obtained by Kurdistan24, although movement across the city remained noticeably lower as residents stayed cautious over the possibility of renewed unrest.
Security forces said their main objective was to protect social peace and prevent attempts to trigger internal conflict among Hasakah's different communities.
The latest violence followed another night of tension in the city.
Earlier Kurdistan24 reporting said Kurdish youths had protested after incidents surrounding a Syrian flag-raising ceremony at Peace Square in central Hasakah.
During that ceremony, a group of people reportedly damaged the square's multilingual sign, destroyed nearby surveillance cameras and assaulted members of the Internal Security Forces.
Read More: Kurdish Youths Protest in Hasakah After Anti-Kurdish Slogans, Several Injured
Video footage and local accounts indicated that anti-Kurdish slogans were also chanted during the incident.
The events generated anger among Kurdish residents and contributed to subsequent street protests.
As demonstrators from Ghweiran later moved toward the courthouse, Internal Security Forces intervened and fired into the air in an attempt to disperse the crowd.
Several civilians were reportedly injured during that intervention.
Friday's unrest marked a further escalation, with Kurdish residents and property directly targeted, according to Kurdistan24's correspondent.
However, security forces moved quickly to separate neighborhoods and restrict movement before the violence developed into broader communal clashes.
Hasakah is home to Kurdish, Arab and other communities, making the containment of street confrontations particularly sensitive.
The latest unrest has centered not only on security but also on symbols, identity and political authority, including the Syrian flag, Kurdish public imagery and the use of multilingual signs.
The command of the Internal Security Forces said it would not allow the situation to be used to undermine relations among the city's communities.
The security measures appeared to have restored calm by Friday, but streets remained quieter than usual and residents continued to limit movement.
No new large-scale clashes were reported after the security deployment.
The supplied reports did not include a statement from representatives of the Arab protesters addressing the attacks, damaged property or anti-Kurdish slogans.
For now, authorities are seeking to prevent the incidents from developing into a broader ethnic confrontation while maintaining a heavy security presence throughout Hasakah.