KURDWATCH, May 23, 2013—On May 19, 2013, fighters of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) kidnapped a total of sixty-seven members of ʿAbdulhakim Bashar’s Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (el‑Partî) from various locations. Most were returning from cadre training in Iraqi-Kurdistan. ʿAbdulhakim Bashar told KurdWatch: »The YPG is taking over the work of the regime. It acts like the State Security Service, the Military Intelligence Service, and the Political Security Directorate.« To the question of what exactly the cadres would have been doing in Iraqi-Kurdistan, he replied: »The PYD cannot dictate how we become active. What our cadres do in Iraqi-Kurdistan only concerns us, not the PYD.« The PYD stated that the members of el‑Partî were arrested because they had crossed the border illegally. They were released as long as there were no other known accusations against them. According to information from a high-ranking member of the Kurdish Democratic Party  (KDP), the Kurdish regional government (KRG) closed the Faysh Khabur border crossing (east of al-Mailikya [Dêrik]) on May 20, 2013 as an answer to the kidnapping.

KURDWATCH, May 22, 2013—ʿAbdulhakim Baschar, Secretary of the Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (el‑Partî), confirmed to KurdWatch media reports according to which the four parties of the Kurdish Democratic Political Union—Syria [further information on the Union] are planning the dissolution of their parties and the formation of a new party: »Yes, we have made this decision. We will form a committee that will prepare the merger. But this is not a matter of a couple of weeks. We are very close together, but we must ease into the process so that the merger does not fail.«

KURDWATCH, May 22, 2013—On May 18, 2013, members of the Asayiş, the security service of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), kidnapped the law student Sherko ʿAbdurrazzaq Khalil (b. 1992 in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn). The reasons behind the kidnapping remain unclear. An activist told KurdWatch: »Sherko’s family is accused of having debts of around ninety thousand Syrian Lira. Due to this, charges have been filed. I don’t believe, however, that the PYD is interested in detaining someone for such a sum. I think the reason for the detention is because one of Sherko’s close relatives was active for the Free Syrian Army.«

KURDWATCH, May 22, 2013—On May 16, 2013, members of the Asayiş, the security service of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), kidnapped Kajin Khalaf Sirajuddin (b. 1988 in al‑Qamishli). In a video that has been made public, the father of the student and member of the Shaykh-Maʿshuq-Khaznawi Battalion of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî) stated that the Asayiş claimed his son was wanted, without, however, giving the reason for this. He demanded his son’s immediate release.

KURDWATCH, May 20, 2013—On May 13, 2013, members of the Asayiş, the security service of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), kidnapped Sardar Qare, member of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî), in Tall Maʿruf (twenty kilometers southeast of al‑Qamishli). According to a statement by the Yekîtî, the context to the kidnapping is Qare’s military engagement for the party, which maintains several military battalions with a few dozen fighters each in the Kurdish regions.

KURDWATCH, May 18, 2013—On April 24, 2013, the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) released Muhammad Salim Muhammad Saʿid, member of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria’s (Yekîtî) Shaykh-Maʿshuq-Khaznawi Battalion. Muhammad Saʿid and six more members of the battalion were kidnapped by the YPG on April 17. The other fighters remain under the power of the YPG. A member of the Shaikh-Maʿshuq-Khaznawi Battailons told KurdWatch that Muhammad Saʿid was tortured by the YPG.

KURDWATCH, May 17, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and government troops in the week from May 4 to 10, 2013 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. On May 10, demonstrators throughout the country demanded the fall of the regime. They gathered under the common slogan »Baniyas, sectarian cleansing under international protection«. Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) once again organized no demonstrations this week. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration took place in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by various youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council). In ʿAmudah, there was only one dissident demonstration, organized by various youth groups including Avahî. Supporters of the Kurdish National Council refrained from organizing a demonstration due to the start of the harvest season and the final exams of the current school year. In al‑Hasakah, two demonstrations took place, one organized by the Kurdish National Council, the other by Arab groups. The Kurdish National Council organized one demonstration in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), and al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday. There were no protests in ʿAfrin or Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), nor in the majority Kurdish districts in Aleppo and Damascus. Overall, the number of demonstrators in the Kurdish regions is seen increasingly as in decline.

KURDWATCH, May 14, 2013—On May 6, 2013, members of the Asayiş, the security service of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), stopped a bus in which leading politicians for the parties of the Kurdish National Council were traveling at the Faysh Khabur border crossing east of al~Malikiyah (Dêrik). The bus was returning from a meeting with President Barzani in Erbil [further information]. The politicians had to leave the vehicle, which was then searched. Ibrahim Biro, secretary of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî), was among those who confirmed the incident. He further stated that the members of the Asayiş had claimed to be acting on orders.

KURDWATCH, May 14, 2013—In a statement on May 1, 2013, Kamiran Haj ʿAbdu, a member of the steering committee for the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria (Democratic Yekîtî), accused the secretary of the party, Muhiyuddin Shaykh Ali, and the steering committee of manipulating the political policies of the program passed at the last party congress [further information]. The closing statement, which he himself helped prepare, would have called for the fall of the regime. The published version, however, only discusses an end to the rule of the security apparatus. Due to this and other differences of opinion, a group of members of the Democratic Yekîtî announced their withdrawal from the party in early May. A member of the Democratic Yekîtî told KurdWatch: »Ali’s ambitions to control the party became clear at the party congress. Members of various party circles have called for a special party congress. Ali must not be allowed to simply ignore the demands of party members.«

KURDWATCH, May 12, 2013—From April 28 to May 6 2013, President Masʾud Barzani invited the heads of the parties in the Kurdish National Council as well as representatives of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) to Erbil to discuss a solution to the problems between the Kurdish National Council and the People’s Council of West Kurdistan. However, representatives of the PYD and the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party in Syria, which is accused of having close ties to the PYD, stayed clear of the meeting. In a statement the Progressive Party explained its absence by stating that similar meetings have repeatedly taken place without results. The Progressive Party further suggested that the Kurdish National Council should first solve its own problems. The PYD, which declined a meeting with representatives of the Kurdish National Council as it [the PYD] was »not part of the problem«, made similar statements. Moreover, the PYD made it clear that it would not sit down at a table with representatives of Mustafa Djumʾa’s Kurdish Freedom Party in Syria (Azadî) since this party was involved in the killing of Kurds. Independently of this, the PYD sent several delegates to Iraqi-Kurdistan to separately meet with Barzani.

KURDWATCH, May 7, 2013—Between April 26 and May 3, 2013, shots were repeatedly exchanged in Tall Tamr (thirty-seven kilometers south east of Raʾs al‑ʿAyn) between fighters for the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units  (YPG) and armed members of the Arab Sharabiyin tribe [further information]. In addition, at least four Kurds were arrested at a Sharabiyin checkpoint near Tall Tamr on April 27; they were released a few days later. According to information from the YPG, Islamic groups including the Jabhat al‑Nasra allegedly fought on the side of the Sharabiyin. In a statement, the YPG announced that four of its members were killed, as well as thirty-five fighters for the opposing side. Moreover, the YPG allegedly arrested a fighter from Saudi Arabia, one from Europe, and three Kurds from Kirkuk who supposedly fought on the side of the Sharabiyin.

KURDWATCH, May 6, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and government troops in the week from April 27 to May 3, 2013 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. On May 3, demonstrators throughout the country once again demanded the fall of the regime. They gathered under the common slogan »Your taboos are killing the Syrians«. Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) did not organize any demonstrations this week. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration took place in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by various youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council). Two dissident demonstrations took place in ʿAmudah, organized by the Kurdish National Council and various youth groups, including Avahî. There were also two demonstrations in al‑Hasakah, one organized by the Kurdish National Council, the other by Arab groups. The Kurdish National Council organized one demonstration in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), and al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday. There were no protests in ʿAfrin or Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), nor in the Kurdish districts of Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, May 5, 2013—On April 24, 2013, the activist and journalist Shiyar Khalil (b. 1985 in ʿAfrin), a member of the Union of Kurdish Journalists, was arrested along with seven other activists at a café in Damascus. Thus far it is uncertain which security service is responsible for the arrests.

KURDWATCH, May 4, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and government troops in the week from April 20 to 26, 2013 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. On April 26, demonstrators throughout the country demanded the fall of the regime. They gathered under the common slogan »Protection of the majority«. Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) did not organize any demonstrations, but rather funeral processions in ʿAmudah and ad‑Darbasiyah for the burials of slain YPG [further information] and PKK fighters. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration took place in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by various youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council). Two dissident demonstrations took place in ʿAmudah, organized by the Kurdish National Council and various youth groups, including Avahî. There were also two demonstrations in al‑Hasakah, one organized by the Kurdish National Council, the other by Arab groups. The Kurdish National Council organized one demonstration in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), and al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday. There were no protests in ʿAfrin or Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê) nor in the mainly Kurdish districts of Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, May 2, 2013—On April 25, 2013, Mustafa Farhan (b. 1970 in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn, married, four children), leading member of Muhammad Musa’s Kurdish Left Party in Syria, was kidnapped on the road between Tall Tamr and Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê). In a statement, the Left Party blamed the Arab Sharabiyin tribe for the kidnapping. The same day, shots were exchanged between Sharabiyin and fighters for the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) [further information]. Farhan was released the following day.

KURDWATCH, May 2, 2013—On April 25, 2013, shots were exchanged between the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) and armed members of the Arab Sharabiyin tribe at a YPG checkpoint in Tall Tamr (thirty-seven kilometers southeast of Raʾs al‑ʿAyn). At least one YPG fighter and eight Scharabiyin, including one woman, are thought to have been killed.

KURDWATCH, May 1, 2013—On April 26, 2013, the Asayiş, the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) security service, distributed flyers in al‑Qamishli calling upon all institutions in civil society to submit an application with the Asayiş for any demonstrations [further information]. Only the Friday demonstrations are excluded from this. Anyone who does not follow this order is to be punished in accordance with legal provisions. It is unclear if this refers to Syrian law or the PYD’s parallel law.

KURDWATCH, May 1, 2013—In mid‑April 2013, the Kurdish regional government in Iraq began building a provisional bridge across the Tigris at the Faysh Khabur border crossing east of al‑Malikiyah (Dêrik). The bridge is the result of heavy border traffic between the Kurdish regions of Syria and Iraq and should facilitate the faster transport of goods in particular. Until now, people and goods have been transported across the border river with boats and a ropeway. The Syrian side of the border is officially controlled by the Supreme Kurdish Committee. Border fees are to be divided between the People’s Council of West Kurdistan and the Kurdish National Council. In practice, however, this has not yet happened. »Thus far around one hundred thousand dollars are presumed to have been collected«, reported a person responsible for finances in the Supreme Kurdish Committee. »To my knowledge, the Kurdish National Council has not received any of it; at most, smaller sums have gone to individual parties. The PYD controls all of the revenues.«

KURDWATCH, April 29, 2013—After decades of sanctions against the Kurdish language in schools, universities, and agencies, the Syrian government resolved to teach Kurdish literature at Syrian universities in the future. On April 18, 2013, President Bashar al‑Assad stated in an interview that he wanted to introduce this subject into the country’s literary departments. The University of Damascus has already made an announcement seeking two suitable teachers.

KURDWATCH, April 29, 2013—In several Kurdish cities, the Supreme Kurdish Committee has begun replacing Syrian license plates with new plates specially produced for the Kurdish regions. These license plates have the Kurdish city names in Arabic and Latin script. Moreover, alongside the abbreviation SYR for Syria is the abbreviation RK for Rojavayê Kurdistan (West Kurdistan).

KURDWATCH, April 27, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian  (FSA) and government troops in the week from April 13 to 19, 2013 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. On April 19, demonstrators throughout the country demanded the fall of the regime. They gathered under the common slogan »Iran and Hizbullah, you will be defeated along with Assad«. Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) only organized one demonstration in al‑Qamishli, under the motto »We will not forget the massacre of Shaykh Maqsud«. One demonstration also took place in each of the al‑Qamishli districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq and Martyr Farhad youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council). Moreover the Kurdish Future Movement in Syria under Rezan Bari Shaykhmus protested against the politics of the PYD. It accused the PYD of forcibly silencing those who hold different opinions. Two dissident demonstrations took place in ʿAmudah, organized by the Kurdish National Council and various youth groups. There were also two demonstrations in al‑Hasakah, one organized by the Kurdish National Council and the other by Arab groups. A demonstration organized by the Kurdish National Council took place in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), and al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday. There were no protests in ʿAfrin or Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), nor in the Kurdish districts in Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, April 26, 2013—On April 20, 2013, government troops attempted to retake the district of al‑Ashrafiyah in Aleppo. Fighters for the Free Syrian Army’s (FSA) Kurdish Front Brigade were able to defend their positions in the district. Shots were also exchanged on April 21 and 22. According to statements by the Kurdish Front Brigade, at least five Syrian Army soldiers were killed in the fighting.

KURDWATCH, April 26, 2013—On April 17, 2013, fighters for the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) kidnapped Bangin Ahmad, a member of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria (Democratic Yekîtî), from his home in Tall Abu Raʾsain (Girbawî), twenty kilometers east of Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê). In a statement, the al‑Qamishli district group of the Democratic Yekîtî condemned the kidnapping by the YPG and called upon the PYD to release the abducted victim. The leadership of the Democratic Yekîtî has made no comment thus far. While leadership is part of the party’s so-called ʿAfrin wing and is considered close to the PYD, the al‑Qamishli/Jazirah fraction is more critical.

KURDWATCH, April 25, 2013—From March 30 to April 1, 2013, more than one hundred delegates from at home and abroad took part in the seventh party congress of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria (Democratic Yekîtî) near ʿAfrin. The party congress was dedicated to Ismaʿil ʿUmar, the founder of the Democratic Yekîtî who died in 2010, as well as to Kamal Hanan and Scherzad ʿAlamdar, two members who were killed during the Syrian revolution. Those gathered confirmed the party’s current political line and pledged themselves to the following principles:
– Victory of the revolution, of freedom, and of dignity; for a free, democratic, pluralistic, and decentralized Syria;
– Protection of Kurdish unity and of peace within the population;
– Strengthening of the role of the party in all areas;
– The freedom of women is the foundation of societal progress.
Muhiyuddin Shaykh Ali was re-elected Secretary, and Mustafa Maschayikh was elected as his deputy. A politburo comprised of nine people and a ten-member steering committee were also elected. For the first time, a woman, Fasla Yusuf, made it into the politburo. The position of chairman, which has been empty since Ismaʿil ʿUmar’s death in 2010, was not filled. Ahmad Chato, a newly elected member of the politburo, told KurdWatch »A few weeks before the party congress, we formed a legal preparatory committee. Among other things, the committee recommended that we eliminate the position of chairman. No one should hold this position after Ismaʿil ʿUmar. The recommendation was accepted.« Originally the »dual leadership« of chairman and secretary was created to prevent the two wings of the party from splitting: Both al‑Qamischli/Jazirah wing under Ismaʿil ʿUmar and the ʿAfrin wing under Muhiyuddin Shaykh Ali were allowed to fill one of the positions and in this way could claim to lead the party. After ʿUmar’s death, his post remained vacant, as it was feared that filling it could lead to conflicts or a even a fracturing of the party. Ali, who was a member of legal preparatory committee for the party congress, is now being accused of trying to disempower the al‑Qamishli/Jazirah wing of the party by eliminating the position of chairman and through his own re-election. According to these accusations, his re-election only came about because the party congress took place in ʿAfrin; he supposedly has fewer supporters than the al‑Qamishli/Jazirah wing. In addition, the al‑Qamishli/Jazirah wing is accusing him of cooperating with the regime for years and in effect implementing the policies of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) since the revolution.

KURDWATCH, April 21, 2013—On April 11, 2013, the secretary of the Kurdish Democratic Equality Party in Syria, ʿAziz Dawud, died following a serious illness. Dawud founded the Equality Party in 1992 and has acted as its secretary since then.

KURDWATCH, April 19, 2013—Fighting in the Shaykh Maqsud district in Aleppo has been ongoing since March 29, 2013 [further information]. Government troops are routinely bombarding the district with missles. According to media reports, more than forty civilians have been killed thus far. The battle lines are drawn between the regime on one side and the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG), and the Kurdish Front Brigade on the other. Reportedly the Kurdish Front Brigade was originally initiated by the Supreme Kurdish Council—the common council of the Kurdish National Council and the People’s Council of West Kurdistan. In a founding video from January 2013, FSA and YPG flags are visible. In later videos, the PYD‑flags are missing. Moreover Kurdish Front Brigade has announced that it has completely crossed over to the FSA. According to its own statements, the YPG is currently preventing government troops from marching into Shaykh Maqsud, and is thus fighting on the side of the opposition in Aleppo.

KURDWATCH, April 19, 2013—At least fourteen civilians were killed in a Syrian Air Force attack on the village of Tall Haddad (thirty kilometers west of al‑Yaʿrubiyah [Tel Koçer]). The attack was directed at a Free Syrian Army unit. Both Kurds and Arabs live in Tall Haddad and the surrounding villages. The area has been controlled by the Free Syrian Army for several weeks.

KURDWATCH, April 18, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and government troops in the week from April 6 to 12, 2013, again resulted in numerous dead and injured. On April 12, demonstrators throughout the country once again demanded the fall of the regime. They gathered under the common slogan »Syria is too strong to be divided«. Due to fighting between the FSA and government troops [further information] there were no demonstrations in al‑Qamishli. In ʿAmudah there were three dissident demonstrations, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and various youth groups. There were three demonstrations in al‑Hasakah, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and Arab groups. Two demonstrations—one organized by the PYD, the other by the Kurdish National Council—took place in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), al‑Jawadiya (Çil Axa), and al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday. There were no protests in ʿAfrin or Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), nor in the Kurdish districts in Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, April 18, 2013—On April 11, 2013, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) began a push to take al‑Qamishli. It bombarded the militarily important airport with surface-to-surface missiles from several of the Arab villages it controls about ten kilometers south of the city. Government troops responded in turn with surface-to-surface missiles. The fighting lasted around twenty-four hours. At least two FSA missiles struck residences about two kilometers north of the airport; there were no fatalities or injuries among the civilian population. There is no information about the number of victims among the combatants. Thousands of residents left their homes near the airport.

KURDWATCH, April 17, 2013—On April 6, 2013, a member of ʿAbdulhakim Bashar’s Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (el‑Partî), ʿAli Sido ʿAbdo (b. 1978 in Raju, married, no children), was found dead near a highway near Raju. The body showed signs of torture, as well as bullet wounds to the head. ʿAbdo had been missing since April 4, 2013. Muhammad Salih Khalil, member of el‑Partî’s politburo, told KurdWatch: »The YPG repeatedly threatened ʿAbdo, but I can’t say that the YPG murdered him. For such an accusation, one needs evidence. However, the YPG and PYD have already threatened and kidnapped members of our party repeatedly; several days ago, one of our party members was even murdered« [further information on the case].

KURDWATCH, April 17, 2013—In early April, government-affiliated Syrian media reported on government plans, according to which the number of Syrian provinces would be increased from fourteen to seventeen. According to these reports, the provinces of al‑Hasaka, Aleppo, and Homs are to be split. The city of al‑Qamishli and its surroundings are to become a new province, as is the region around Aleppo, which is to be separated from the city of Aleppo. In addition, there are plans for the creation of a province by Tadmur (Palmyra) in the Syrian desert. The government has not yet officially commented on the plans. The restructuring could lead to the creation of two predominantly Kurdish provinces: the province of al‑Qamishli, which along with the city of the same name could encompass all or part of the predominantly Kurdish regions in Northeast Syria, as well as a province that would include the predominantly Kurdish districts of ʿAfrin and ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî). These districts constitute a large part of the rural regions of the current province of Aleppo. One reason for the restructuring could be that the government wants to create provinces that are not under the control of the Free Syrian Army (FSA)—this would be true for the two Kurdish provinces and the new desert province. The latter would be problematic because of its small population (under 100 000) and the fact that there would be no cities in the province according to Syrian law—such a city would need at least 50 000 residents.

KURDWATCH, April 12, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and government troops in the week from March 30 to April 5, 2013, once again resulted in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area Homs und Darʿa. On April 5, demonstrators throughout the country once again demanded the fall of the regime. They gathered under the common slogan »We are refugees, honor and dignity are our motto«. There were no demonstrations in al‑Qamishli, however, supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) organized a funeral march there for three YPG‑fighters who had been killed the previous day [further information on the case]. In ʿAmudah and ad‑Darbasiyah, PYD‑supporters took part in a funeral march for another YPG‑fighter who had been killed in an accident. In Damascus and ar‑Raqqa, PYD supporters celebrated the birthday of Abdullah Öcalan. In ʿAmudah there were two dissident demonstrations, organized by the Kurdish National Council and various youth groups. In al‑Hasakah there were three demonstrations, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and Arab groups. Moreover, the Kurdish National Council organized one demonstration in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), and al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday. There were no protests in ʿAfrin or Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), nor in the majority Kurdish districts of Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, April 12, 2013—On April 4, 2013, armed members of the Arab tribe Tai, which has close ties to the regime, occupied a mill in Qanat as‑Suwais, a Kurdish district in al‑Qamishli. They left the mill when they were surrounded by fighters for the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG). Shortly thereafter the Tai, supported by the Syrian Army, established a checkpoint on a busy roundabout from which a road to the airport which has been closed for months branches off. According to a statement by the YPG, one of its own units that passed the checkpoint was shot at from there. Three YPG fighters were killed. According to information from the YPG, the YPG then attacked several government checkpoints in al‑Qamishli, killing six soldiers and arresting several. The slain YPG‑members were buried on April 5 in al‑Qamishli. The same day, armed Tai stormed the administration of the grain silo in Qanat as‑Suwais.

KURDWATCH, April 11, 2013—On March 29, 2013, the Free Syrian Army, including several Kurdish units, attacked the positions of government troops in the majority Kurdish Shaykh Maqsud district in Aleppo. The Syrian army subsequently bombarded the district with surface-to-surface missiles. At least five civilians were killed, including two children. The fighting continued in the following days. Numerous people fled toward ʿAfrin, where they found shelter with relatives or in public buildings.

KURDWATCH, April 8, 2013—On March 29 and 30  2013, a total of 246 delegates from Syria and abroad, approximately ten percent of whom were women, took part in the 7th Party Congress of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî) in ʿAmudah. Ibrahim Biro was elected secretary general and Hasan Salih his deputy. In addition the delegates elected a new politburo comprised of thirteen people. Three additional members from ʿAyn al‑ʿArab, Aleppo, and ʿAfrin are to be added at a later date. Party members from these cities reportedly did not travel to ʿAmudah for the party congress for security reasons. The respective local groups will therefore determine their politburo representatives in a special election. The party congress, which was named after Tahsin Khairi Mamo, a party member who died in custody [further information on the case], affirmed the Yekîtî’s political line and pledged itself to the following goals: – Overthrow of the dictatorial regime and implementation of the goals of the Syrian revolution: freedom and dignity. – Formation of a democratic, federal, pluralistic, and secular Syria. – Freedom for all political prisoners who have been imprisoned by the regime. The Yekîtî is the only Kurdish party in Syria to elect a new party head for the fifth time in a row without the election resulting in a split in the party.

KURDWATCH, April 7, 2013—On March 27, 2013, supporters of the Kurdish Democratic Political Union—Syria organized a rally in front of the electric company in ʿAmudah. They protested against the recurring power shutdowns of late. The protests were directed against the Democratic Union  (PYD), which controls the water and electric companies in ʿAmudah. A participant in the rally reported to KurdWatch: »We had not even been at the location for an hour when members of the YPG [the PYD’s armed militia] appeared and demanded that we break up the rally. When we continued our protest, they shot into the air. Our youth could not put up with that; we pelted the YPG with stones. The YPG then shot directly at us. Three participants in our rally were hit.« A PYD‑member told KurdWatch: »What can the officials for the electric company do about the shortage of electricity? The electricity is fed into the power grid in al‑Hasakah and other locations; our supporters in ʿAmudah don’t have electricity either. The demonstrators were not peaceful. Some were armed; they shot and wounded a YPG‑member. Even the PYD’s party office was pelted with stones, and additionally the headquarters of the Kurdish Red Half Moon«.

KURDWATCH, April 5, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and government troops in the week from March 23 to 29, 2013, resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area around Homs and Darʿa. On March 29, demonstrators throughout the country once again demanded the fall of the regime. They gathered under the common slogan »And give [the] good news to the patient«. Supporters of the Kurdish National Council again demanded the recognition of the rights of the Kurds. Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) organized only one demonstration in al‑Qamishli. It took place under the slogan »No to emmigration, Yes to return«. In al‑Qamishli one demonstration took place in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq and Farhad Martyrs youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council). In ʿAmudah there were two separate demonstrations, organized by the Kurdish National Council and various youth groups. There were also two demonstration in al‑Hasakah, one organized by the Kurdish National Council, the other by Arab groups. The Kurdish National Council organized one demonstration in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), and al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday. There were no protests inʿAfrin or Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), nor in the mainly Kurdish districts in Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, April 2, 2013—On March 14, 2013, fighters for the Kurdish Intervention Forces, an armed unit under the command of Masʿud Hasan (member of Lazgin Mahmud Fakhri’s Kurdish Democratic Party—Syria) refused to give up their weapons at checkpoint of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) in al‑Hasakah. When the YPG insisted upon the disarmament, shots were exchanged, after which fighters for the intervention forces kidnapped three members of the YPG. After mediation by the Kurdish National Council, the YPG‑fighters were released on March 15, Lazgin Fakhri told KurdWatch: »After the release of its members, the YPG invited Hasan to talks to resolve the misunderstandings and normalize the atmosphere. However, when he arrived at the YPG, he was arrested. Hasan may have made a mistake when he arrested the YPG‑members, but the YPG had no right to disarm him. Actually, the relationship between the YPG and Hasan was good. Hasan and his forces actively protected al‑Hasakah’s Kurdish districts from the regime.« The Kurdish Intervention Forces are considered non-partisan, many of its fighters are neither members nor supporters of Lazgin Mahmud Fakhri’s Kurdish Democratic Party—Syria.

KURDWATCH, April 1, 2013—After Free Syrian Army (FSA) units captured the majority Arab-inhabited city of Tall Birak (forty kilometers south al‑Qamishli) as well as several surrounding villages, Syrian army ground troops, supported by the air force and surface-to-surface missiles, marched into the city on March 14, 2013. On March 15, FSA units were able to regain control over the city. Dozens of army personnel were killed in the fighting.

KURDWATCH, April 1, 2013—Anas ʿAbdulhakim al‑Husayni (b. 1983 in al‑Qamishli), Yasir Husayn Karami (b. 1979 in ʿAyn al‑ʿArab [Kobanî], member of the SAWA‑Coalition) and ʿAbdurraʾuf ʿAbdulilah al‑Husayni (b. 1983 in al‑Qamishli) were arrested by employees of the State Security Service in Damascus on December 31, 2012. Anas al‑Husayni was a manager of a cleaning company that specialized in state facilities (including sensitive buildings like the Foreign Ministry and the Presidential Palace). The other two people arrested worked as foremen for the same company. On March 2, 2013, Syrian television channels broadcast an interview with Anas al‑Husayni in which he confessed to having planned an assassination attempt on the Syrian president. Thus far neither family members nor attorneys have had access to the detainees.

KURDWATCH, March 31, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and government troops in the week of March 16 to 22, 2013, resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area around Homs und Darʿa. On March 22, demonstrators throughout the country once again demanded the fall of the regime. They gathered under the common slogan »Your chemical weapons will never stop the prevalence of freedom«. Supporters of the Kurdish National Council once again demanded the recogntion of the rights of the Kurds, whereas the Democratic Union Party (PYD) did not organize any protests. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration each took place in the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq and Farhad Martyr youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council). In ʿAmudah there were two separate demonstrations, organized by the Kurdish National Council and the various youth groups. There were also two demonstrations in al‑Hasakah, one organized by the Kurdish National Council, the other by Arab groups. The Kurdish National Council organized one demonstration in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), and al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) did not take place until Saturday. There were no protests ʿAfrin and Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), nor in the mainly Kurdish districts in Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, March 30, 2013—On March 19, 2013, the National Coalition in Istanbul elected Ghassan Hittu (b. 1963 in Damascus) the first head of government of the Syrian Opposition. Against expectations, Hittu was elected by simple majority. Thirty-five of the fifty-three delegates present voted for him, including the contingent of the Muslim Brotherhood. Nine delegates left the session in protest, as they had anticipated an appointment by common accord. In the coming weeks, a government based in the liberated regions of Northern Syria is to be formed. Hittu has been active against the regime since the beginning of the Syrian revolution two years ago. He is of Kurdish origin, but thus far has neither taken an active stand on the Kurdish question nor publically stated his opinion on the matter. Before his election, he was little-known within oppositional circles.

KURDWATCH, March 28, 2013—On March 21, 2013, more than forty people were killed in an bomb attack on a mosque in Damascus, including the Sunni cleric Muhammad Saʿid Ramadan al‑Buti (b. 1929). Al‑Buti, who was of Kurdish origin, had maintained good relations with the ruling Assad family for decades. He was one of the few Sunni supporters of the regime who also enjoyed great respect in the Islamic world. Representatives of the government and the opposition are blaming one another for the attack.

KURDWATCH, March 28, 2013—On March 19, 2013, fighters for the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG), aided by members of the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party in Syria, attacked a rally by the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî) in al‑Malikiyah (Dêrik). The rally was intended to celebrate the Kurdish New Year’s festival Newroz. A Yekîtî activist told KurdWatch: »The attackers wanted to prevent our demonstration on the grounds that we had not applied for permission with the Asayiş [PYD security service]. We told them that, just like the PYD, we are members of the Supreme Kurdish Council and don’t need permission from other members. They didn’t like that at all, and they subsequently shot into the air above our heads. Then we took shots into the air as well. We can do that, too. Then they disappeared.« About two hours after the incident, the gathering dispersed.

KURDWATCH, March 24, 2013—On March 17, 2013, Sultana ʿAli (b. 1968, married) and an infant were killed by missile fire in the al‑Mufti district of al‑Hasakah. Two other children each lost a hand. Many others suffered minor injuries.

KURDWATCH, March 23, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and government troops in the week of March 9 to 15, 2013, resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area around Homs and Darʿa. On March 15, demonstrators throughout the country continued to demand the fall of the regime. They gathered under the common slogan »Two years of conflict and the victory of our revolution has appeared« and commemorated the first dissident demonstrations, which took place in Damascus exactly two years before. Supporters of the Kurdish National also celebrated the anniversary of the revolution; at the same time, they remembered the victims of the poison gas attack on Halabja (Iraqi-Kurdistan) twenty-five years ago. Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) took to the streets under the slogan »We will not forget the massacre of Halabja«. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration took place in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq, and Farhad Martyr youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council) as well as at the Qasimo mosque in the western district (organized by the PYD). Three separate demonstrations took place in ʿAmudah, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and various youth groups. There were also three demonstrations in al‑Hasakah: one organized by the Kurdish National Council, one by the PYD, and one by dissident Arab groups. Two demonstrations—one organized by the PYD, the other by the Kurdish National Council—took place in each of the cities of ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), and al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). Supporters of the Kurdish National Council organized one demonstration in each of the cities of ʿAfrin, ad‑Darbasiyah, al‑Malikiyah (Dêrik) and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê).

KURDWATCH, March 23, 2013—On March 14, 2013, approximately eighty members of the parties united in the Kurdish Democratic Political Union—Syria protested in ʿAmudah against the Union’s political powerlessness. After demonstrating in front of the offices of the member parties, the demonstrators gathered in a meeting hall and began a hunger strike. They called upon the parties to form a true union and in particular to unite their military forces. After leading politicians for the Union visited the protestors, the hunger strike ended that same day.

KURDWATCH, March 21, 2013—At eleven o’clock local time on March 12, 2013, hundreds of thousands in the Kurdish regions took part in a minute of silence to mark the ninth anniversary of the »al‑Qamishli Uprising« and remember the victims of 2004. Tens of thousands subsequently participated in demonstrations in al‑Qamishli, ʿAmudah, al‑Hasakah, al‑Malikiyah (Dêrik), al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), ad‑Darbasiyah, al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê), Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), ʿAfrin, Jindiras, Raju, and Aleppo. Numerous stores remained closed. Members of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) organized additional military parades in al‑Malikiyah and ʿAfrin. The demonstrations were peaceful. In all locations, supporters of the Kurdish National Council and the PYD demonstrated separately.

KURDWATCH, March 21, 2013—On March 16, 2013, supporters of the Democratic Union  (PYD) in Raju (twenty kilometers northwest of ʿAfrin) attacked supporters of the Kurdish National Council. Following a minute of silence to mark the anniversary of the poison gas attack on Halabja (Iraqi-Kurdistan), the Kurdish National Council supporters had chanted slogans celebrating the Free Syrian Army (FSA). Later, fighters for the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) attacked several homes belonging to the Kurdish Sido family – the family is known for its close ties to ʿAbdulhakim Bashar’s Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (el-Partî). Shervan ʿAli Sido was killed; Luqman, Barzan, Mustafa Jamal, Muhamad, and Anwar Sido were kidnapped by the YPG.

KURDWATCH, March 21, 2013—On March 13 and 14. 2013, members of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) once again attacked several Kurdish villages near ʿAfrin. At least ten people were kidnapped, including members of ʿAbdulhakim Bashar’s Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (el‑Partî) and Mustafa Jumʿa’s Kurdish Freedom Party (Azadî). A leading member of the Azadî told KurdWatch: »The Syrian telephone networks haven’t been working in days, Turkish cell phones have no reception here, and the streets are controlled by the YPG. Therefore we cannot say exactly how many people have been kidnapped. The Supreme Kurdish Committee was negotiating between us and the YPG so that those kidnapped on March 8 would be released. With the new kidnappings, the YPG wants to show that there can be no power alongside the YPG.«

KURDWWATCH, March 19, 2013 – Mustafa ʿAbdo ʿIso (b. 1963 in Jindiras, married, five children) was severely wounded in a missile attack on February 26, 2013 in the Shaykh Maqsud district of Aleppo. The member of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria (Democratic Yekîtî) succumbed to his injuries on March 13, 2013.

KURDWATCH, March 16, 2013—On March 11, 2013, the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) security service (Asayiş) distributed leaflets in places including al‑Qamishli and ʿAfrin. The leaflets set a deadline for people in the Kurdish areas to apply for a gun license. All weapons must be registered with the Asayiş by March 31 2013. Beginning in April, people who own unregistered weapons will be punished. In addition, gun licenses are only to be provided for light weapons; according to the leaflet, heavy weapons are banned. In some locations, instructions from the Asayiş were announced over the loudspeakers of the mosques.

KURDWATCH, March 15, 2013—On March‑8,‑2013, members of the Democratic Union Party’s‑(PYD) People’s Defense Units‑(YPG) attacked the Kurdish villages of Basuta, Burj ʿAbdullah, and Kimar (approximately ten kilometers south of ʿAfrin) with heavily armed vehicles. The villages are considered the stronghold of Mustafa Dschumʿa’s Kurdish Freedom Party (Azadî). Three people—ʿAdil Hasan, ʿUmar Nabu, and ʿAlaʾ ʿAbdu—were killed by gunshot wounds, and numerous others were injured. In addition, forty-five to fifty people were kidnapped, including ʿAbdurrahman Ibo, member of the Central Committee of Mustafa Jumʿa’s Azadî. An Azadî checkpoint in Basuta was also destroyed. Mustafa Mahmud ʿAti, a leading member of the Azadî in Aleppo, told KurdWatch: »Our members and supporters still follow the party’s instructions not to shoot at the YPG. Not even if it attacks. But the YPG has crossed all boundaries. If it continues like this, the Azadî will be forced to defend itself militarily. We hope that it doesn’t go that far.«

KURDWATCH, March 15, 2013—On February 26, 2013, Mustafa Jumʿa’s Kurdish Freedom Party in Syria (Azadî) left the Supreme Kurdish Committee. Mustafa Mahmud ʿAti, leading member of the party in Aleppo told KurdWatch: »We left the Supreme Kurdish Commission to protest against the kidnapping of our party members by the Democratic Union Party, which is also a member of the Committee. We also want to protest against the fact that the Committee did nothing to free our members.«

KURDWATCH, March 14, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and government troops in the week of March 2 to 8, 2013 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area around Homs and ar‑Raqqa. On February 8, demonstrators throughout the country again demanded the fall of the regime. They took to the streets united under the slogan »Your sectarian state will not succeed«, which referred to the ʿAlawite areas’ potential splitting-off from the rest of Syria. Supporters of the Kurdish National Council and the Democratic Union (PYD) celebrated Women’s Day in separate demonstrations. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration took place in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq and Martyr Farhad youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council) as well as at the Qasimo mosque in the western district (organized by the PKK‑affiliated women’s movement Yekîtiya Star). Three separate demonstrations took place in ʿAmudah, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and various youth groups. In al‑Hasakah there were three demonstrations, one organized by the Kurdish National Council, one by the PYD, and one by dissident Arab groups. Two demonstrations—one organized by the PYD, the other by the Kurdish National Council—also took place in ad‑Darbasiyah, ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), and al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday, not on Friday. There were no protests in ʿAfrin or Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), nor in the primarily Kurdish districts of Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, March 12, 2013—On February 14, 2013, three supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) attacked Ahmad Muhammad Mustafa (known as Pir Rustam), writer and member of the Central Committee of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria (Democratic Yekîtî). They demanded he stop the loading of a transporter, to close his four stores in Jindiras, and to participate in a general strike. PKK‑affiliated organizations had called for the general strike that day to protest against the arrest and detention of Abdullah Öcalan. When Rustam refused to close his stores, the attackers tried to take him with them, but were stopped by neighbors and pedestrians. Only fifteen minutes after they had left Rustam’s shop, more than a dozen armed members of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) security forces (Asayiş) appeared. »They stormed into my store and brazenly asked who didn’t want to close his stores. I told them that I had long had this business appointment and couldn’t just send the transporter from Idlib [one hundred kilometers south of Jindiras] back empty. They wanted to arrest me if I didn’t participate in the strike. When we began to raise our voices, a crowd again gathered around us. Some explained to the attackers who I am. That is the only reason I wasn’t kidnapped. I still had to close my stores«. In an open statement a few days later one hundred and seventy writers, politicians, and activists condemned the PYD’s attack on Pir Rustam. In contrast, the Democratic Yekîtî, of whose Central Committee Rustam is a member, has not yet commented on the attack.

KURDWATCH, March 10, 2013—On March 1, 2013, members of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) took control of several public buildings in Rumailan (two kilometers west of al‑Maʿbada [Girkê Legê]). On March 1 and 2, 2013, the YPG laid siege to the headquarters of the Political Security Directorate and the Military Intelligence Service, inside which dozens of members of the security services had barricaded themselves, as well as to a small military base. On March 2, the besieged surrendered their position; no clashes occurred on any of the days. According to statements by the YPG, thirty-five people were initially taken captive, but were released after only a few hours. Rumailan is Syria’s largest oil field.

KURDWATCH, March 10, 2013—On March 1, 2013, members of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) as well as several supporters of the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party in Syria surrounded a number of security headquarters and several public buildings in al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). A few hours later all Syrian security forces and army personnel left the encircled buildings and the city. The YPG took control of, among other things, the headquarters of the State Security Service and the Military Intelligence Service, two police stations, the recruitment office, city hall, the headquarters of the ruling Baʿth party, and the cultural center.

KURDWATCH, March 9, 2013—On February 16, 2013, members of the Leadership Committee of the Kurdish Ahrar-al‑Kurd-Brigade from ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî) and the Military Committee of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) signed an agreement that provides for close cooperation between both groups. The agreement came about during the YPG’s abduction of the press spokesman for Ahrar al‑Kurd [further information on the case]. An activist close to Ahrar al‑Kurd told KurdWatch: »The leadership of Ahrar al‑Kurd was practically forced to sign the agreement. The fear that Kaban would otherwise be murdered was too great.« Ibrahim Mustafa alias Kaban himself told KurdWatch: »The content of the agreement is in itself good. But the circumstances under which the agreement came about were anything but pleasant.«
The following points were resolved in the agreement:
1. Ahrar al‑Kurd will abide by the decisions of the Supreme Kurdish Committee and act according to these
2. The forces of Ahrar al‑Kurd and the People’s Defense Units will be united.
3. Ahrar al‑Kurd will be represented in the leadership of the Military Committee of the People’s Defense Units and will act according to the decisions of the Supreme Kurdish Committee’s military leadership in the future.
4. All members of Ahrar al‑Kurd will take part in separate drills to gain military experience. Since the conclusion of the agreement, the Ahrar-al‑Kurd Brigade has frozen its relations to the Free Syrian Army, to which it had belonged until then.

KURDWATCH, March 8, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and government troops in the week from February 23 to March 1, 2013 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area around Homs und Idlib. On February 22, demonstrators throughout the country took to the streets united under the slogan »One nation, one flag, one war« and continued to demand the fall of the regime. Supporters of the Kurdish National Council took to the streets under the slogan »Loyalty to Barzani«, thereby commemorating the birthday of the Iraqi-Kurdish Mullah Mustafa Barzani. As in recent weeks, they also demanded the recognition of the rights of the Kurds. Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) gathered under the slogan »Al‑Qamishli is our dignity« and emphasized their willingness to defend the city of al-Qamishli against possible attacks by armed groups—intended here is the FSA. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration took place in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq and Farhad Martyr youth groups), Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council), and at the Qasimo mosque in the western district (organized by the PYD). Three separate demonstrations took place in ʿAmudah, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and various youth groups. In al‑Hasakah there were three demonstrations, one organized by the Kurdish National Council, one by the PYD, and one by Arab groups. Two demonstrations—one organized by the PYD, the other by the Kurdish National Council—took place in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, ʿAyn al-ʿArab (Kobanî), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), and al Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday, not on Friday. There were no protests in ʿAfrin or Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), nor in the primarily Kurdish districts of Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, March 8, 2013—On February 10, 2013, members of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) security forces (Asayiş) in Jalabiyah (fifty kilometers south of ʿAyn al‑ʿArab) kidnapped Ibrahim Mustafa (b. 1980 in ʿAyn al‑ʿArab, known as Kaban). Mustafa is the press spokesman for the Kurdish brigade of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Ahrar al‑Kurd from ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî). Mustafa told KurdWatch »I was driving with my wife and children in my car when we were stopped by a vehicle belonging to the PYD’s Asayiş. Several armed people held their weapons to my head and forced me to ride with them. I had to leave my wife and the children alone in a strange place. They treated me very badly during the arrest. It was a horrible experience for my children and my wife, but also for me. I thought they were going to kill me.« On February 20, Mustafa was released. According to his own statements, he was not tortured while in custody, but rather was treated relatively well. At the same time, he and the Ahrar-al‑Kurd-Brigade were accused of having made contacts with enemy organizations.

KURDWATCH, March 5, 2013—From February 9 to 11, as well as on February 23 and 24, 2013, there was heavy fighting between government troops and various units of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) over the Kurdish villages Tall Hasil and Tall ʿAran. The fighting occurred a few kilometers southeast of the Aleppo international airport. At least three civilians, all members of the same family, died in their home in Tall Hasil when it was hit by a missile.

KURDWATCH, March 5, 2013—On February 23, 2013, shots were exchanged near the al-Qamishli airport. An activist reported to KurdWatch: »It was not a skirmish with the Free Syrian Army. We suspect, rather, that one of the soldiers forced to protect the airport wanted to desert.« Several kilometers of the main access road to the al~Qamishli airport have been blocked by government forces for months. Moreover, the government has called upon residents of the poor districts north and south of the airport to leave their homes.

KURDWATCH, March 4, 2013—In the early morning of February 21, 2013, all Syrian security forces and army personnel left the city of al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa). A few hours later, the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) took control of all public buildings, including city hall, the post office, the cultural center, the registry office, and the office of the Baʿth party. At no point were there any clashes in connection with the withdrawal of state forces. Following the takeover of al‑Jawadiyah, several members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) were also in the city. It is unknown whether the FSA and the YPG cooperated.

KURDWATCH, March 4, 2013—From February 20 to 22, 2013, heavy combat was exchanged between government troops and various Free Syrian Army (FSA) battalions in the town of Tall Hamis (forty kilometers south of al‑Qamishli). The Syrian army shelled the city and bombarded it with surface-to-surface missiles, many of which struck the surrounding Arab and Kurdish villages. Prior to its offensive, the FSA had called for residents to leave the city. No civilian casualties were reported. Dozens of soldiers were killed or taken prisoner. The FSA has had complete control of Tall Hamis since February 25 at the latest. The city is predominantly inhabited by Arabs; however, there are also numerous Kurdish villages in the surrounding area

KURDWATCH, February 28, 2013—OnFebruary 10, 2013, several Free Syrian Army (FSA) units took control of large parts of the city of ash‑Shaddada (fifty kilometers south of al‑Hasakah). They stormed a housing development primarily inhabited by people who work at the oil field near ash‑Shaddada. The majority are ʿAlawis. Dozens of employees were kidnapped; information about their murder and burial in a mass grave could neither be confirmed nor disproven. On February 12, the Syrian army bombed FSA positions in ash‑Shaddada with surface-to-surface missiles. On February 12, shots were also exchanged between FSA and government troops in al‑Hasakah.

KURDWATCH, February 28, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army and government troops in the week from February 16 to 22, 2013 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area around Homs and Idlib. On February 22, demonstrators throughout the country took to the streets united under the slogan »The proud [city] ar‑Raqqa is on the path of freedom« and continued to demand the fall of the regime. As in recent weeks, supporters of the Kurdish National Council demanded the recognition of the rights of the Kurds. Supporters of the Democratic Union (PYD) gathered under the slogan »The Kurdish language is taboo [must not be repressed]«. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration took place in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq and Martyr Farhad youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council) as well as at the Qasimo mosque in the western district (organized by the PYD). Three separate demonstrations took place in ʿAmudah, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and various youth groups. A group of PYD supporters attacked Kurdish National Council demonstrators in ʿAmudah. No one was hurt. In al‑Hasakah there were three demonstrations, one organized by the Kurdish National Council, one by the PYD, and one by Arab groups. Two demonstrations—one organized by the PYD, the other by the Kurdish National Council—took place in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa) and al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). A demonstration organized by the PYD took place on Friday in al‑Malikiyah (Dêrik). The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday. There were no protests in ʿAfrin or Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), nor in the primarily Kurdish districts of Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, February 26, 2013—On February 14, 2013, shots were exchanged in Tall Tamr (thirty-seven kilometers southeast of Raʾs al‑ʿAyn) between fighters of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) and various Free Syrian Army (FSA) battalions. The FSA had attempted to capture a cattle farm. Several of its fighters were killed in the clash. Since the withdrawal of government employees and regime security forces in early December 2012, Tall Tamr has been administered by a committee of Arab and Kurdish residents.

KURDWATCH, February 24, 2013—From February 8 to February 11, 2013, heavy fighting occurred between members of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) and Syrian government troops in the predominantly Kurdish district al‑Ashrafiyah in Aleppo. In addition to numerous soldiers, at least five YPG fighters and two civilians were killed. According to information from the YPG, their members did not die in battle, but rather were taken prisoner by government troops, severely tortured, and then executed.

KURDWATCH, February 23, 2013—After weeks of armed conflicts between the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) and Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups [further information], including Jabhat al‑Nasrah, a meeting took place between representatives of the YPG and FSA on February 17, 2013. After the meeting, a declaration covering the following resolutions was issued:
1. Repositioning of military forces and complete withdrawal of all military units from the city.
2. Temporary formation by mutual agreement of a steering committee composed of representatives from both sides, whose task is to supervise the implementation of this declaration.
3. Formation by mutual agreement of a civilian local committee composed of representatives of the city’s various [ethnic and religious] groups to administer all city issues.
4. The control of the border crossing by this committee.
5. The local committee is sovereign. Military forces may not influence its work.
6. Establishment of joint YPG and FSA checkpoints at the entrances to the city.
7. Simplification of the procedures and protection of people, goods, and military forces of both sides when passing through checkpoints belonging to the other side.
8. Cooperation of FSA and YPG to free those cities that remain under the control of the regime.
9. Cities and villages in which the regime is not present, such as ad‑Darbasiyah, ʿAmudah, Tall Tamr, al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê), and al‑Malikiyah (Dêrik), are free cities. They will be declared as such in a joint declaration by both sides.
10. End of all hostile campaigns by both sides.
11. The introduction [which speaks out against racism and for the fall of the Syrian regime] is an integral part of this agreement.

KURDWATCH, February 21, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army and government troops in the week from February 9 to February 15, 2013 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area around Homs and Idlib. On February 15, demonstrators throughout the country took to the streets united under the slogan »He was content with Allah as supporter« and continued to demand the fall of the regime. As in recent weeks, supporters of the Kurdish National Council demanded the recognition of the rights of the Kurds and the withdrawal of armed groups from Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê). Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) remembered the arrest of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in 1998 with the slogan »Condemnation of the international conspiracy«. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration took place in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq and Martyr Farhad youth groups), Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council) and Qanat Suwais (organized by the PYD). Three separate demonstrations took place in ʿAmudah, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and various youth groups, including Avahî. There were three demonstrations in al‑Hasakah, one was organized by the PYD. Two demonstrations—one organized by the PYD, the other by the Kurdish National Council—took place in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî) and ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî). In al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê), PYD supporters organized one demonstration. The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday, not on Friday. There were no protests in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê) or al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa) nor in the mainly Kurdish districts of Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, February 20, 2013—On February 2, 2013 in al‑Qamishli, seventy-five representatives of thirty-five Kurdish youth organizations, only two of whom were women, elected ten delegates to the Kurdish National Council. The Union of Cooperation of Kurdish Youth in Syria, as the largest organization, was represented with nine seats at the respective conference. In contrast, the PYD-affiliated youth groups did not take part. The SAWA coalition and Avahî also did not take part, as both are members of the Syrian National Council and would have had to leave that council in order to be allowed to participate in elections for the Kurdish National Council. The Youth Conference was organized by a committee of the Kurdish National Council, which included, among others, the chairman of the Kurdish National Council, Faisal Yusuf, and Ismaʿil Hami, Secretary of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî). All of the delegates elected at the Youth Conference are affiliated with the Kurdish Democratic Political Union—Syria. According to an activist, this group was far better prepared than the independent youth groups, whose representatives hardly knew each other and had not made any agreement to elect common candidates. Therefore many representatives of smaller groups elected the Union’s candidates. Another independent activist told Kurdwatch, »If we had voted for representatives of the Democratic Yekîtî or the Advancement Party, we could have just as well have given our vote to the PYD«. The Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî) and the Kurdish Advancement Party in Syria are frequently accused of being to close to the PYD or the regime. Political goals and strategies were not discussed during the conference. Prior to the conference, problems arose because the time and place of the conference had been changed the day before without informing all participants. Those present, however, decided, to wait for those who were missing in order to prevent another failure to elect youth representatives. This election originally was supposed to take place on January 28, 2013. Due to disputes within the parties of the Kurdish Democratic Political Union—Syria, which accused one another of colluding to manipulate elections, the first conference had to be cancelled.

KURDWATCH, February 19, 2013—On January 30, 2013, heavy fighting occurred between government troops and Free Syrian Army (FSA) units in the mainly Kurdish district of al‑Ashrafiyah in Aleppo. On January 31, the Syrian air force, supported by surface-to-surface missiles, intervened in the fighting. At least eighteen non-participating civilians were killed.

KURDWATCH, February 19, 2013—On January 28, 2013, a car bomb explosion in al‑Hasakah killed the driver of the vehicle. There were no other deaths or injuries even though the explosion occurred near a school and several government agencies. The reason behind the explosion is unclear.

KURDWATCH, February 16, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army and government troops in the week from February 2 to 8, 2013 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area around Homs and Idlib. On February 8, demonstrators throughout the country took to the streets united under the slogan » And hold fast, all together, unto the bond with God, and do not draw apart from one another« and continued to demand the fall of the regime. As in recent weeks supporters of the Kurdish National Council demanded the recognition of the rights of the Kurds and the withdrawal of armed groups from Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê). Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) gathered under the slogan »Cooperation of the Kurdish people«. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration was organized in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq, and Martyr Farhad youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council). PYD supporters also organized a rally at the Turkish-Syrian border crossing in al‑Qamishli. During the rally, eleven trucks crossed the border loaded with relief supplies gathered by Kurdish organizations in Turkey. They were delivered to representatives of the Supreme Kurdish Committee. Three separate demonstrations took place in ʿAmudah, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and various youth groups. There were two demonstrations in al‑Hasakah. Two demonstrations—one organized by PYD, the other by the Kurdish National Council—took place in each of the cities ad‑Darbasiyah, al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî) and ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî). The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday, not on Friday. The PYD also organized a demonstration in al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) on Saturday. There were no protests in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê) or al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), nor in the Kurdish districts of Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, February 16, 2013—On January 30, 2013, members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) kidnapped Ahmad Shaykh Sinan (b. 1945 in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn, married, member of ʿAbdulhakim Bashar’s Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria [el‑Partî]) in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê). A few hours after the kidnapping, Sinan’s corpse was found; his body exhibited broken bones and several bullet wounds. When relatives accompanied by members of the Kurdish Democratic Political Union—Syria sought to bring the corpse to a coroner in ad‑Darbasiyah, they were prevented from continuing on at a checkpoint controlled by the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG). Sinan was buried on January 31 in Faqira near Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê).

KURDWATCH, February 13, 2013—On February 7, 2013, members of the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) abducteded ʿAlaʾuddin Hamam, leading member of Mustafa Jumʿa’s Kurdish Freedom Party in Syria (Azadî), his son Sardar, and Salah Shahin Daʿu (also Azadî members) in ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî).

KURDWATCH, February 11, 2013—On February 5, 2013, fighters for the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) ended the siege of the village of Kahf al‑Assad (Banê Şikeftê, thirty kilometers southwest of al‑Malikiyah) following mediation by the Kurdish National Council. The siege had been ongoing since February 2. No armed skirmishes occurred. The YPG justified the siege of the village, which is home to members of the Kurdish Kherikan tribe, by stating that an unknown person shooting at YPG fighters hid in the village. In the course of the siege, YPG‑ checkpoints were established not only around Kahf al‑Assad, but also in the vicinity of other villages in which Kherikan tribe members live. An activist reported to KurdWatch: »It was the third time in two years that the YPG attacked our village. This time they wanted to march into the village and disarm all of the men. That would have been a fatal mistake. The village residents are traditionally supporters of Barzani; they would never have allowed that. During the siege, no one was allowed to leave the village and not even the mediators could enter the village.«

KURDWATCH, February 9, 2013—On January 28, 2013, members of several Arab tribes attacked the homes of Armenian and Assyrian Christians in ad‑Dalawiyah (twenty-five kilometers south of al‑Qamishli) and tried to steal the harvest from their fields. The Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) demanded an end to these »foreign deeds«. In addition, twelve Syrian human-rights organizations protested against the attack on a Christian church near Aleppo and the kidnapping of Christians in al‑Hasakah province. The kidnappings are typically connected to ransom demands. Moreover, armed Islamic groups have repeatedly called upon Christian families living in al‑Hasakah to leave their villages.

KURDWATCH, February 7, 2013—On January 31, 2013, Kamal Mustafa Hanan (b. 1954 in ʿAfrin, married, three children) was fatally shot near his home in the mainly Kurdish district of al‑Ashrafiyah in Aleppo. Hanan was the editor-in-chief of the Kurdish language journal Newroz and a former member of the leadership of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria (Democratic Yekîtî). On February 1, the Democratic Yekîtî organized a funeral march near ʿAfrin to mark the burial. Representatives of many of the parties in the Kurdish National Council as well as representatives of the PYD took part in the burial. It is unclear if this was a targeted assassination or if Hanan was accidentally hit by a bullet.

KURDWATCH, February 7, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army and government troops in the week from January 26 to February 1, 2013, resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area around Homs and Idlib. On February 1, demonstrators throughout the country took to the streets united under the slogan »The international community is Assad’s partner in his massacres« and continued to demand the fall of the regime. As in recent weeks, supporters of the Kurdish National Council demanded the recognition of the rights of the Kurds and the withdrawal of armed groups from Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê). Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) gathered under the slogan »The YPG is our strength, and the Supreme Kurdish Committee is our representation«. In al‑Qamishli one demonstration each took place in the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq and Martyr Farhad youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council), as well as at Qasimo mosque in the western district (organized by the PYD). Three separate demonstrations took place in ʿAmudah, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and various youth groups. There were two demonstrations in al‑Hasakah. Two demonstrations—one organized by the PYD and the other by the Kurdish National Council—also took place in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî), and ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî). The Kurdish National Council’s weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday, not on Friday. There were no protests in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê) or al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), nor in the Kurdish districts of Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, February 5, 2013—On January 23, 2013, members of the Syrian opposition formed the »National Committee for the Protection of Social Peace and the Revolution«. The eight-member council, of which a representative of the Kurdish National Council is also a part, wants to mediate between the warring parties in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê) [further information] and achieve an unconditional end to the conflict.

KURDWATCH, February 3, 2013—On January 25, 2013, Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters kidnapped Hikmat Ahmad Muhammad, a leading member of Mustafa Oso’s Kurdish Freedom Party in Syria (Azadî), his son Ahmad (also an Azadî member), as well as two of their relatives, Hasan Jumʿah Muhammad and Sarbast Sultan Muhammad. According to a statement by the Azadî, the kidnappers announced that the four will not be released until FSA fighter Ahmad Kamil ar‑Rumi, who was taken by the PYD, is set free.

KURDWATCH, February 3, 2013—On January 21, 2013, fighting ceased between the Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) People’s Defense Units (YPG) and the Syrian army over the Tall ʿAdas (Gir Zîro) oil field [further information]. The Syrian army abandoned the oil field after a majority of its soldiers fled and Damascus did not send military support.

KURDWATCH, February 1, 2013—On January 28, 2013 militants of the Democratic Union Party's People's Defense Units (YPG) in al‑Qamishli kidnapped the activist Sherin Ahmad (b. in al‑Qamishli, married, one child) at her place of employment. The reasons behind the abduction are not yet known. According to statements by relatives, Ahmad is being treated well.

KURDWATCH, February 1, 2013—On January 28, 2013, unknown people set fire to the business of the al‑Hilali family near the Qasimo mosque in the western district of al‑Qamishli with Molotov cocktails. The shop was completely gutted by the fire. ʿUsama al‑Hilali is a leading member of the Mishʿal-at‑Tammu Brigade, which is fighting with other armed groups against the Democratic Union Party's (PYD) People's Protection Units [further information].

KURDWATCH, January 31, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army and government troops in the week from January 19 to 25, 2013 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area around Homs and Idlib. On January 25, demonstrators throughout the country took to the streets united under the slogan »Our eternal leader is our Lord [the prophet] Muhammad« and continued to demand the fall of the regime. Supporters of the Kurdish National Council distanced themselves from this slogan and demanded, as in previous weeks, the recognition of the rights of the Kurds and an end to the fighting in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê). Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), on the other hand, gathered under the slogan »The Martyrs of Serê Kaniyê«. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration took place in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq, and Farhad Martyrs youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council), as well as at the Qasimo mosque in the western district (organized by the PYD). In ʿAmudah, three separate demonstrations took place, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and various youth groups. A group of approximately twenty YPG‑people attacked the demonstration by the youth groups in ʿAmudah; no one was injured. There were two demonstrations in al‑Hasakah. Two demonstrations—one organized by the PYD, the other by the Kurdish National Council—also took place in both al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî) and ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî). The Supreme Kurdish Council organized a demonstration in ad‑Darbasiyah; the participants demanded an end to the fighting in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê) and the withdrawal of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Islamist groups from the city. After a prolonged interruption, the PYD once again organized a demonstration in ʿAfrin on January 24. The Kurdish National Council's weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday, not on Friday. There were no protests in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn or al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), nor in the Kurdish districts of Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, January 27, 2013—On January 17, 2013, several minibuses from ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî) were stopped by armed members of the Islamic organization Jabhat al‑Nasrah near Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê); forty-five Kurdish passengers were kidnapped. On January 20, eight of the captives were released. On January 22, the remaining thirty-seven were released following an intervention by the FSA‑Brigade Ahrar-al‑Kurd from ʿAyn al‑ʿArab. Three people came away with bullet wounds. In an interview, several of those released stated that they had been tortured.

KURDWATCH, January 27, 2013—During fighting with the Democratic Union Party's (PYD) People's Defense Units (YPG) on January 16, 2013 near Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), armed members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) abducted numerous Kurdish civilians and accused them of being members of the PYD. A video released on the internet shows the kidnapped victims being held in a house and interrogated by several armed people. In the course of the interrogation, they are beaten with billy clubs and kicked.

KURDWATCH, January 26, 2013—On January 6, 2013, the ceasefire [further information] between the Democratic Union Party's (PYD) People's Defense Units (YPG) and units of the Free Syrian Army in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê) was broken again. Since this time there has been continued fighting using heavy artillery. Activists report that several armed Kurdish groups are participating on the side of the Free Syrian army, including the Mishʿal‑at‑Tammu‑Brigade. Several battalions of the Islamic group Jabhat al‑Nasrah are also fighting in the ranks of the FSA. Leading politicians of several member-parties in the Kurdish National Council – for example ʿAbdulhakim Bashar's Kurdish Democratic Party and the Kurdish Left Party in Syria – expressed their readiness to support the YPG. Members of the Kurdish Advancement Party in Syria and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria (Democratic Yekîtî) already do so. At least eleven PYG‑members and six civilians have been killed to date. Activists also report dozens of deaths on the FSA side. On January 18, the Kurdish National Council called for an end to the fighting, the release of all prisoners, and the condemnation of the attacks by the leadership of the Free Syrian Army and the National Alliance. In a statement, the Syrian National Council also called for an end to the fighting, but without taking sides.

KURDWATCH, January 24, 2013 Since January 9, 2013, members of the Democratic Union Party's (PYD) People's Defense Units (YPG) have surrounded an oil field near Tall ʿAdas (Gir Zîro) [ten kilometers east of al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê)]. The area is being guarded by the Syrian military. On January 14, 17, and 19, fighting occurred between the two sides. Several soldiers were injured in the process, and others were taken captive by the YPG. After a meeting between representatives of the People's Council of West Kurdistan, the Kurdish National Council, and Arab tribal leaders, the captives were released. An activist told KurdWatch, »We presume that by expelling government soldiers, the YPG wants to prevent the Free Syrian Army from having a pretense to attack or take over the oil field«.

KURDWATCH, January 24, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army and government troops in the week from January 12 to January 18, 2013 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area around Hama and Idlib. On January 18,, demonstrators throughout the country took to the streets united under the slogan »University of the Revolution, Techniques of Martyrdom« and continued to demanded the fall of the regime. The slogan recalled the approximately ninety students who were killed in an air attack on the University of Aleppo. Supporters of the Kurdish National Council carried banners with similar content and also demanded the recognition of the rights of the Kurds and an end to the fighting in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê). Supporters of the Democratic Union Party  (PYD), on the other hand, gathered under the slogan »[Court‑]trial for the assassins of the Kurdish women activists«. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration took place in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq and Farhad Martyrs youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council), as well as at the Qasimo mosque in the western district (organized by the PYD). In ʿAmudah, three separate demonstrations took place, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and various youth groups. In al‑Hasakah there were two demonstrations. Two demonstrations—one organized by the PYD and the other by the Kurdish National Council—took place in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî), and ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî). The Kurdish National Council's weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday, not on Friday. There were no protests in ʿAfrin, Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), or al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), nor in the mainly Kurdish districts of Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, January 24, 2013—On January 10 and 11, 2013, 211 National Council members participated in the alliance's second conference in al‑Qamishli. Representatives from a total of fifteen Kurdish parties, non-partisans, and representatives of several women and youth groups took part. As the youth groups were only allotted fifteen, rather than the previous thirty percent of the seats in the National Council, the Kurdish Youth Movement, the Movement of Revolutionary Youth, the Union of the Cooperation of Kurdish Youth in Syria, and the General Council of Kurdish Youth did not participate in the conference. These groups further accused the parties of favoring members of party-affiliated youth groups in order to create additional seats for the parties. Those gathered elected a total of 65 delegates to the Kurdish National Council; ten additional members are to be chosen from the ranks of the youth representatives at a youth conference. Thus the number of members in the Kurdish National Council will be reduced by a total of 258—from 333 to 75 people. In the closing statement, those gathered spoke out in favor of a federal, democratic Syria and confirmed the political stance they have held to date.

KURDWATCH, January 20, 2013—On January 11, 2013, armed members of the Democratic Union Party's (PYD) People's Defense Units (YPG) stormed the military drill ground »Newroz« near ʿAli Faru (ten kilometers west of al‑Qamishli) with vehicles. The drill ground, which belongs to the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî), was opened in early January. All Kurdish flags and Syrian independence flags were removed. A member of the Yekîtî told KurdWatch: »The drill ground was deserted. The YPG justified its actions to eyewitnesses by explaining that the flags would give the regime a pretense for air attacks.« In a statement, the Yekîtî condemned the actions of the YPG.

KURDWATCH, January 19, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army and government troops in the week of January 5 to January 11, 2013 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the financial center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area around Hama and Idlib. On January 11, demonstrators throughout the country took to the streets united under the slogan »Refugee camps of death« and again called for the fall of the regime. Supporters of the Kurdish National Council held banners stating similar content and also demanded the recognition of the rights of the Kurds. Several youth groups used the demonstrations to criticize the organizers of the second plenary assembly of the Kurdish National Council. Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) on the other hand gathered under the slogan »Martyr Khabat Derik, leader of the YPG« [download interview]. In addition, they protested the murder of three PKK women activists in Paris. In al‑Qamishli, one demonstration took place in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq and Farhad Martyrs youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council) as well as at the Qasimo mosque in the western district (organized by the PYD). Three separate demonstrations took place in ʿAmudah, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and various youth groups. There were two demonstrations in al‑Hasakah. Two demonstrations—one organized by the PYD, the other by the Kurdish National Council—took place in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî), and ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî). The Kurdish National Council's weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday, not on Friday. The PYD organized a demonstration in the predominantly Kurdish district of Wadi al‑Mashariʿ (Zorava) in Damascus. There were no protests in ʿAfrin, Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), or al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), nor in the mainly Kurdish districts of Aleppo.

KURDWATCH, January 18, 2013—On December 13, 2012, Munzir Iskan Ahmad, Firas Jumʿa al‑Ahmad [further information on the case], Jiwan Yusuf Yusuf [further information on the case], and Husain ʿAbdulkhaliq ʿAli were acquitted by the criminal court in al‑Hasakah on the charge of killing a police officer. They were sentenced to six and a half years in prison pursuant to Articles 287, 267, and 305 of the criminal code. The sentences of Ahmad and al‑Ahmad were reduced to three years due to mitigating circumstances and Amnesty Decree No. 10, dated January 15, 2012. Both were released from custody the same day. The prison terms for Yusuf und ʿAli were reduced for the same reasons, but since they have absconded, the sentence was reduced to five years only. The remainder of the sentence is still to be served.

KURDWATCH, January 15, 2013—From January 1 to January 5, 2013, 336 members of the Democratic Union Party's (PYD) People's Defense Units (YPG), as well as its affiliated organizations took part in the first plenary meeting of the YPG's Military Committees in al‑Malikiyah (Dêrik). The closing statement describes the plenary meeting as a »fundamental step toward the creation of a national army for West Kurdistan«. Those assembled resolved to establish a Military General Committee and three military command centers in ʿAfrin, ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), and the Jazirah, and to establish further local military committees. They emphasized »the unity of the struggle of the Syrian people« and the significance of building good relationships between the YPG and the armed forces of the Syrian opposition. Those who died in the Syrian revolution were described as martyrs and in particular the children who have been killed were described as icons of the Arab-Kurdish brotherhood. Next to its own flag, the YPG raised the Syrian independence flag, symbol of the Free Syrian Army. In recent months, members of the YPG and PYD have repeatedly kidnapped or attacked activists for displaying the independence flag at demonstrations or hanging it in party offices. The reason given for this was that the flag was the symbol of the enemies of the Kurds.

KURDWATCH, January 15, 2013—On January 3, 2013, altercations between members of the Democratic Union Party's (PYD) People's Defense Units (YPG) and members of the Yekîtî's newly-founded Jiwan Qatna Battalion occurred in front of the office of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî) in ad‑Darbasiyah. Both sides fired shots into the air. In addition, Nizamuddin ʿAliko, Sulayman Mizar al‑ʿIsa, Jiwan Mirkhan, and Ismaʿil ʿAbdulbaqi ʿAli were kidnapped by the YPG. The YPG accused them of being members of an Islamic group. An activist associated with the Yekîtî told KurdWatch: »Members of the Jiwan Qatna Battalion were trained in weapons on a drill ground between Raʾs al‑ʿAyn and ad‑Darbasiyah by members of the Martyr Tahsin Mamo Battalion. The PYD does not accept that other Kurdish groups are also arming themselves, even if it is only to protect the Kurds«. Yekîtî supporters organized a rally in ad‑Darbasiyah to protest the abduction. After an intervention by the Kurdish National Council, the kidnapped victims were released the same day.

KURDWATCH, January 13, 2013—On January 2, 2013, a bomb exploded near the al‑Qamishli regional office, injuring four members of the security forces. Information about the casualties could not be confirmed. The reasons for the explosion are not yet known.

KURDWATCH, January 12, 2013—On January 3, 2013, armed supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in al‑Qamishli fired shots from a vehicle at the office of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî). Yekîtî members returned fire and injured one of the attackers in the shoulder.

KURDWATCH, January 10, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army and government troops in the week of December 29, 2012 to January 4, 2013 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital Damascus, and the area around Hama and Idlib. On January 4, demonstrators throughout the country took to the streets united under the slogan »Homs calls the free to end the siege« and once again called for the fall of the regime. Supporters of the Kurdish National Council did not demonstrate under a common slogan; some demanded the recognition of the rights of the Kurds; others called attention to alleged irregularities in elections to the Kurdish National Council's local committees. Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) gathered under the slogan »Unity of the Freedom Youth«. In al‑Qamishli one demonstration took place in each of the districts of al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq and Farhad Martyrs youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council). In addition, supporters of the PYD in al‑ʿAntariyah took part in a three day »Rally of the hundred thousand« [further information]. Nevertheless, only around ten thousand participants could be mobilized by January 4. In ʿAmudah, three separate demonstrations took place, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and various youth groups. In al‑Hasakah, two demonstrations took place. Moreover, two demonstrations took place in both ad‑Darbasiyah and ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), one organized by the PYD and the other by the Kurdish National Counil. The Kurdish National Council's weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday, not on Friday. There were no protests in ʿAfrin, Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), or al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî), nor in the Kurdish districts of Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, January 10, 2013—From January 2 until January 4, 2013, supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) carried out a rally in the district of al‑ʿAntariyah in al‑Qamishli. They demanded freedom and democracy for the Kurdish and the Syrian people. The organizers set up tents, and numerous activists spent the night on site. The majority of the participants in the event were members of PYD-affiliated youth groups; however, members of the youth groups of the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party in Syria, Nasruddin Ibrahim's Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (el‑Partî), and the Kurdistani Union Party in Syria, as well as members of non-partisan youth groups also took part. On January 4, around ten thousand people took part in the action, which was called »The rally of the hundred thousand«.

KURDWATCH, January 9, 2013—At the end of December 2012, a decision by the acting Syrian prime minister Waʾil Nadir al‑Halqi to dismiss a total of ninety people from the civil service was announced. Decision No. 16488, dated October 18, 2012, primarily names teachers from al‑Hasakah province, but also civil servants from other offices and provinces. A copy of the decision was signed on December 11, 2012 by the education authority in al‑Hasakah. It is unclear whether those targeted by the decision have been fired for political reasons. The decision itself does not name any reasons for the dismissals.

KURDWATCH, January 9, 2013—On December 28, 2012, Syrian security forces shot at participants in a demonstration organized by Free Syrian Army supporters in al‑Hasakah resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. Armed members of several Arab tribes subsequently attacked positions of the Democratic Union Party's (PYD) People's Defense Units (YPG). They accused the PYD of cooperating with the regime. Members of the PYD returned fire. Three people were killed, though it is unclear whether by shots fired from PYD supporters or by Syrian security forces.

KURDWATCH, January 7, 2013—On December 15, 2012, ʿAbdulhakim Bashar's Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (el‑Partî), the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî), Mustafa Khidr Oso's Kurdish Freedom Party in Syria (Azadî), and Mustafa Jumʿa's Kurdish Freedom Party in Syria (Azadî) announced the establishment of the »Kurdish Democratic Political Union—Syria«. Approximately one thousand five hundred people were present at the founding ceremony in al‑Qamishli. The Union was portrayed as a project on the way to forming a new party. Responding to the question of whether the two Azadî parties would unite within the Political Union, Dawran Malke, a member of the local committee of Mustafa Khidr Oso's Azadî in al‑Qamishli, told KurdWatch: »Of course we want to join the two parties very quickly, but just like the other two parties, each Azadî party will initially be treated as a separate party. All steps toward unification

KURDWATCH, January 4, 2013—Ongoing fighting between the Free Syrian Army and government troops on December 28, 2012 resulted again in numerous dead and injured. The fighting was concentrated in the economic center of Aleppo, the capital of Damascus, and the area around Hama. Throughout the country, demonstrators united under the motto »Blood bread« took to the streets to demand the fall of the regime. Supporters of the Kurdish National Council carried banners with similar content, thereby commemorating the victims of an air attack on a bakery near Hama. Supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) demonstrated under the slogan »The liberation of the Jazirah [lies] in the unity of the segments of its population«. In al‑Qamishli one demonstration took place in each of the districts of Qanat Suwais, al‑ʿAntariyah (organized by the Biratî, Rojava, Shaykh Maʿshuq and Farhad Martyrs youth groups) and Munir Habib (organized by the Kurdish National Council), as well as at the Qasimo mosque in the western district (organized by the PYD). PYD supporters provoked Kurdish National Council demonstrators in Munir Habib by driving several vehicles at walking speed into the crowd. In ʿAmudah there were three separate demonstrations, organized by the PYD, the Kurdish National Council, and various youth groups. There were three demonstrations in al‑Hasakah. Two demonstrations—one organized by the PYD and the other by the Kurdish National Council—took place in each of the cities of ad‑Darbasiyah, ʿAyn al‑ʿArab (Kobanî), al‑Jawadiyah (Çil Axa), and al‑Qahtaniyah (Tirbesipî). One demonstration organized by the PYD took place in al‑Malikiyah (Dêrik). The Kurdish National Council's weekly demonstrations in al‑Malikiyah and al‑Maʿbada (Girkê Legê) took place on Saturday, not on Friday. There were no protests in ʿAfrin or Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê), nor in the mainly Kurdish districts of Aleppo and Damascus.

KURDWATCH, January 4, 2013—After two days of negotiations between representatives of the Free Syrian Army and the Democratic Union Party's (PYD) People's Defense Units (YPG), both sides settled on an agreement on December 16, 2012 to end the armed conflicts in Raʾs al‑ʿAyn (Serê Kaniyê) [further information]. Details of the agreement were not made public. According to information from KurdWatch, both sides agreed to release all prisoners, withdraw from the city, and leave the administration to representatives of the city's Kurdish, Arab, Chechen, and Christian populations. In addition, all checkpoints outside of the city are to be shared. Currently, no fighting is taking place, but the rivals have not yet abandoned their positions. At the end of December, an activist from Raʾs al‑ʿAyn told KurdWatch: »Neither side is yet pursuing a policy of detente. We fear that they will soon attack each other again.«