The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have surrounded the security squares of the Syrian regime in the cities of Hassakeh and Qamishli, leading to conflicting reports about the reasons behind the siege. Fadel al-Hammad, director of the Assad regime’s radio and television center in Hassakeh governorate, posted on Facebook that the SDF is blocking access to the center of Hassakeh and preventing vehicles from entering.
Local TV correspondent Attia al-Attiyah, who works for the Syrian regime and the Russian agency Sputnik in eastern Syria, reported that SDF forces have closed all entrances and checkpoints in neighbourhoods of central Hassakeh. He noted that the siege was imposed on areas controlled by Assad’s forces, restricting all types of vehicles just hours after the siege began in Qamishli.
After Russian Efforts, SDF Lifts Siege on Security Zones of Regime in Hassakeh
Media sources close to the SDF indicated that the blockade was intended to prevent militants from Assad’s militias—who are reportedly involved in kidnapping and looting—from escaping to support armed robbery gangs in southern Hassakeh, where the SDF has launched a security operation.
Journalist Hawar Hebbo revealed that an agreement was reached to lift the siege on the security squares in Qamishli and Hassakeh following a meeting between a Russian delegation and SDF leaders inside the security square in Hassakeh.
In August, the Assad regime’s press office announced that the SDF had lifted the siege on the security squares in Hassakeh, sharing video footage of vehicles returning to the area.
However, media sources aligned with the Assad regime reported that Russian mediation had failed. They stated that a meeting between the commander of the Russian forces in Syria, SDF officials, and regime representatives did not yield positive results to end the blockade imposed by the SDF on the regime’s security squares in Hassakeh.
Sources affiliated with the Syrian regime blamed the SDF for the failure of the mediation efforts, asserting that the SDF rejected the Russian intervention and chose to maintain the siege.
Concerns about the humanitarian situation in Hassakeh have intensified, with some loyalists comparing the SDF’s actions to Israel’s treatment of the people in Gaza. They have called for a reciprocal response, urging a blockade of SDF-controlled areas and demanding an end to the treatment of SDF leaders in hospitals in Damascus, as well as the expulsion of regime-affiliated students from universities in northeastern Syria.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
