Kurdish forces killed a pro-government protester in northeast Syria on Sunday
Posted on egories
The Syrian government reached a deal with Kurdish forces to end two sieges on government-controlled cities in northeast Syria. As part of the agreement, which was brokered by Russia, Syria agreed to allow supplies to enter Kurdish-held areas in the northern province of Aleppo.
Kurdish police said in a statement that they ended sieges on the city of Qamishli, located along the border with Turkey, and on the northeastern city of Hassakeh. Syrian state media reported on Tuesday that procedures were taken to end the sieges.
The deal came after Kurdish forces fired on pro-government protesters in Hassakeh, killing one person and wounding several others. Moscow had been attempting to mediate between the two sides for the past few weeks.
The US supports the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria, which control most of the northeast. With the changing of administrations in Washington, the new Biden administration was quick to say they will continue supporting the SDF.
The US also maintains a small occupation force in northeast Syria to control the country’s oil fields. The exact numbers of US troops that are in Syria are hard to come by, as US officials have admitted to hiding the real figures. The latest estimate puts the number of US soldiers in the country at 600, after the Trump administration sent an additional 100 troops there back in September.
Published at news.antiwar.com
