Arab tribes in Raqqa agree to fight Kurdish forces

Arab tribes in Raqqa accused YPG of forcibly displacing Arabs in Tel Abyad.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) - A number of Arab tribes in Raqqa province in a joint statement yesterday have accused the Kurdish forces, the People's Protection Units (YPG) of forcibly displacing Arabs in Tal Abyad under the pretext of fighting IS. K24's reporter in Kobani has been given a copy of the statement which warned the Kurdish forces of entering the de facto IS capital, Raqqa.

No YPG fighter may enter the Arab areas where our fighters are present,” the Collective of Raqqa Tribes said at the beginning of the statement.

The statement also called for an international investigation regarding the displacement of some Arab families in the towns of Tal Abyad and Suluk.

Tell Abyad is ruled by non-Syrian Kurds of foreign nationalities: Iraqi, Turkish, and Iranian,” the statement continued.

The statement demanded that Tal Abyad should be handed over to be administered “by its people,” emphasizing that their forces would not stand still towards “violations committed” against the people from the Arab villages. “We also call on YPG forces in Tal Abyad to hand over its administration to the people in all ways.”

The statement was issued after an alleged altercation between YPG forces and the Army of Tribes, affiliated with Liwa Thuwar Raqqa, which is closely allied with the YPG and a member of the recently created Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

An activist with Liwa Thuwar Raqqa told K24 “a clash took place between an Army of Tribes checkpoint and a YPG patrol after the Army of Tribes received information that an Arab resident had been kidnapped by YPG forces.”