PKK/YPG terrorist group kills dozens of civilians in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor

A wave of violence in Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, has left at least 27 civilians dead and dozens more injured in the past week as PKK/YPG terrorists escalated attacks against civilians.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), just between Nov. 30 and Dec. 2, the PKK/YPG killed 27 civilians, including one woman and a child.

SNHR documented the deaths of 27 civilians, incl. 1 woman and 1 child, in an initial estimate by SDF gunfire in Aleppo city between Nov 30 and Dec 2.

Syrian Network For Human Rights (SNHR)

The killings occurred during clashes between local tribes and the PKK/YPG, who are attempting to maintain control of the region amid growing unrest by the locals, as the local people are demanding the PKK/YPG give the administration and leave the area to the opposition forces.

PKK/YPG’s brutal attack on civilians

On Dec. 8, PKK/YPG terrorists killed at least 10 civilians in the Deir ez-Zor provincial capital. According to video footage shared by local residents, PKK/YPG members opened fire at civilians on the street from a mosque minaret.

On Dec. 2, SDF used a rocket launcher to bomb al-Sukkariya al-Saghira village, E. Aleppo, injuring 8 civilians, including 3 children and 3 women.

SNHR notes that SDF violated UNSC resolutions on prohibiting indiscriminate attacks.

Syrian Network For Human Rights (SNHR)

The video, which shows bloodied civilians lying on the streets, has sparked outrage in the region.

These attacks are part of a larger effort by the PKK/YPG to regain control of Deir ez-Zor, a province of significant strategic importance because of its oil-rich eastern regions and proximity to the Iraq-Syria border.

Many local Arab tribes view the group’s presence as a form of foreign-imposed domination.

Rising tensions amid Assad’s fall

Following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which lost control of large parts of Syria, including the capital Damascus, on Dec. 7, the PKK/YPG have been attempting to exploit the power vacuum in Deir ez-Zor and other regions in Syria.

The region, historically controlled by the regime, has witnessed fierce clashes as local tribal forces, in coordination with anti-Assad groups, have pushed back the PKK/YPG forces.

Despite being expelled from the provincial capital and key border districts such as Al-Bukamal and Al-Mayadin, the PKK/YPG have been attempting to regain a foothold.

Videos of recent clashes show protesters calling for the withdrawal of the group and the return of opposition-controlled governance. In response, the PKK/YPG has resorted to violence, further exacerbating tensions.

On Dec. 3, SDF used a rocket launcher to bomb Jarablos city, E. Aleppo, killing a man named Mohammad al-Nasser and a boy named Mohammad Dyab.

The attack also partially destroyed and moderately damaged the facilities of the main market in the center

Syrian Network For Human Rights (SNHR)

Local protests met with deadly force

Protests erupted in Deir ez-Zor as civilians called for the departure of the terror group and demanded control be handed over to opposition factions.

These demonstrations turned violent when the PKK/YPG fired on unarmed protesters, killing at least 10 civilians in Deir ez-Zor city and another six in nearby villages such as Maskana, east of Aleppo.

On December 8, 2024, SDF used a rocket launcher, stationed in the mountains of Qabr Imou village in eastern Aleppo governorate, to fire multiple rockets at Kharfan village to the east of Manbij city in eastern rural Aleppo governorate, killing 10 civilians, including one woman and child, with others injured.

Syrian Network For Human Rights (SNHR)

Local sources reported that the PKK/YPG terrorists also deployed snipers against the protesters, resulting in additional casualties.

The protesters, many of whom are from the Arab Sunni majority in the region, are demanding the withdrawal of the PKK/YPG terrorists and a shift to opposition-led governance.

The region’s population is predominantly Arab Sunni (95%), with small Christian and other communities.

On Dec. 7, a man named Abdul Qader al-Abrash was killed alongside his sister Fadila and child Ibrahim by SDF, who shot them directly after expelling them from their house in Um Zalila village, E. Aleppo

Syrian Network For Human Rights (SNHR)

The PKK/YPG and the humanitarian crisis

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people during its four-decade-long terrorist acts in Türkiye.

Its Syrian offshoot, the YPG, has established a foothold in northern Syria, seeking to create a “terrorist corridor” along the Turkish border.

The PKK/YPG’s presence in Deir ez-Zor has exacerbated the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region, where millions of Syrians have been displaced.

The YPG-led SDF militia has been shooting peaceful demonstrators in Deir Ez-Zor, who are demanding the city be handed over to opposition factions, resulting in four deaths and dozens of injured civilians. In response, locals have armed themselves and are now clashing with the militia.

Ex-Spox of the Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTFOIR), Mzahem Alsaloum

The violence by the PKK/YPG has led to rising civilian casualties.

According to reports from the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), these attacks included indiscriminate strikes in civilian areas, violating U.N. Security Council resolutions that prohibit such actions.