Syrian Regime fighters exchange fire with Kurdish forces in Qamishli

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – Syrian Regime fighters exchanged fire with Kurdish forces (Asayish) on Wednesday in Qamishli in a rare clash between the two sides.

“Tensions erupted late Tuesday when a drunk regime fighter began shooting at Kurdish traffic police in the city of Qamishli. In return, the Kurdish internal security forces, known as Asayish, arrested that drunk fighter with eleven fighters of the National Defense Forces (pro-regime militia),” a K24 reporter said.

Responding in kind, National Defense Forces on Wednesday arrested two traffic police members of the Kurdish forces in Alwahda Street in Qamishli, and in return Asayish detained nine other National Defense Forces fighters, thus a clash took place between the two sides,” a K24 reporter stated.

“For settling the dispute, the arrested 20 members of the National Defense Forces had been released in the evening,” an officer of the Asayish told K24.

On Thursday, a group of National Defense Forces in Khaleej Street in Qamishli attacked Asayish patrol. Asayish shot them back and killed two National Defense Forces fighters. .

“While Rojava Asayish forces attempt not to escalate the situation in Qamishli, and in order to preserve the security of citizens, the Syrian regime militias escalated the situation and clashed with Alasayish forces and injured an Alasayish member,” a statement on the Asayish official website said.

The statement also said a National Defense patrol attacked an Asayish patrol in Khaleej Street, where the clash occurred between the two forces, and thus two members of the National Defense Forces were killed.

“It is noteworthy that the situation is still the same because of national defense attempts to escalate the situation,” the statement concluded.

Qamishli, in Hasakeh province, is under the shared control of the Syrian regime and Kurdish authorities, who have declared zones of "autonomous administration" across parts of north and northeast Syria.

 (Heibar Othman contributed to this report in Qamishli)