Intensification of Arab-Kurdish tensions in Hasakah; an Arab group threatens Kurds

According to Kurdpress, the city of Hasakah in northern and eastern Syria has witnessed an increase in tensions between Arabs and Kurds in recent days. In the latest incident, a group of people from the Ghuwayran and Nashwah neighborhoods moved towards the city center and intended to reach Kurdish neighborhoods; an action that was accompanied by the intervention of security forces and the arrest of a number of people.

According to local media reports, these people moved towards Peace Square in the center of Hasakah on Monday evening.During these developments, an armed group attacked a young Kurdish man’s car and arrested him. Some sources also reported that the group’s goal was to attack Kurdish-owned shops in the market and enter Kurdish neighborhoods; however, these claims have not been independently verified.

After these incidents, the Syrian General Security Forces issued a statement stating that the situation was under control and that a number of people who were trying to disrupt security and create chaos had been arrested.

Meanwhile, a group called “The Liberationists of the Awakening of Syrian Kurdistan” issued a statement warning of attacks against the Arabs of Hasakah and stating that it would not remain silent in the face of such actions.The group said in a threatening tone in its statement: “Those who think that the people of Hasakah will remain silent in the face of attacks should recalculate. We will respond to any attack based on the principle of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”

The threats come as recent tensions between Arabs and Kurds in Hasakah have raised concerns about the possibility of the conflict spreading to different neighborhoods in the city.

Local media reports also indicate that these tensions have intensified following recent incidents involving Kurdish refugees and disputes over their return to their areas of residence. In recent days, reports have emerged of attacks on displaced Kurdish families in Grispi and damage to their cars, incidents that have been accompanied by reactions in Kurdish-populated areas of Syria.Despite security forces' declarations that the situation is under control, continued threats of retaliation and reports of attacks on civilian property have raised concerns about civilian safety and the escalation of ethnic tensions in Hasakah.