Internal relations and conflicts in Rojava Rojava conflict

on 28 december 2012, syrian government forces opened fire on pro-fsa demonstrators in al-hasakah city, killing , wounding several individuals. arab tribes in area attacked ypg positions in city in reprisal, accusing kurdish fighters of collaborating government. clashes broke out, , 3 arabs killed, though not clear whether killed ypg forces or nearby government troops. demonstrations organised various kurdish groups throughout western kurdistan in late december well. pyd supporters drove vehicles @ low speeds through knc demonstration in qamishli, raising tensions between 2 groups.

from 2 4 january, pyd-led demonstrators staged protests in al-antariyah neighbourhood of qamishli, demanding freedom , democracy both kurds , syrians. many activists camped out on site. on 4 january, approximately 10,000 people participating in rallies, included smaller numbers of supporters of other kurdish parties, such knc, staged rally in munir habib neighbourhood. pyd organisers had planned 100,000 people participate, such support did not materialise. demonstrations concurrent rallies conducted across country arab opposition, though kurdish parties did not use same slogans arabs, , did not same slogans amongst own parties. kurds demonstrated in several other towns, not across entire kurdish region.

meanwhile, several armed incidents occurred between dominant pyd-ypg , other kurdish parties in region, particularly kurdish union ( yekîtî ) party, part of kurdish political coalition called syrian kurdish democratic union formed on 15 december 2012, excludes pyd. on 3 january, pyd gunmen staged drive-by shooting on yekîtî office in qamishli. armed yekîtî members returned fire, injuring 1 pyd member. same day, armed clashes broke out between ypg fighters , members of newly formed jiwan qatna battalion of yekîtî in ad-darbasiyah. 4 yekîtî members abducted ypg, accused them of being affiliated islamist groups, though yekîtî activists alleged pyd wanted prevent other kurdish groups arming themselves. following demonstrations in town demanding release , intervention knc, 4 men released end of day. on 11 january, ypg forces raided empty yekîtî training ground near ali faru had been built in january, tearing down both kurdish , fsa flags had been flying @ base. though pyd members defended raid saying flags have attracted government airstrikes, yekîtî condemned action.

on 31 january, kamal mustafa hanan, editor-in-chief of newroz (a kurdish-language journal) , former yekîtî politician, fatally shot in ashrafiyah district of aleppo. not clear if victim of stray bullet or of politically motivated assassination. yekîtî organised funeral procession in town of afrin in kurdish-held northwest corner of aleppo province on 1 february, members of both pyd , knc attended. on 1 february, kurds staged demonstrations in several towns , villages across west kurdistan concurrent opposition demonstrations elsewhere in country. demonstrations organised various kurdish groups, including pyd , knc. demonstrators knc demanded end fighting in ras al-ayn , withdrawal of armed groups town, while pyd demonstrators stressed solidarity ypg units , kurdish supreme council.

from 2 5 february, ypg forces blockaded village of kahf al-assad (kurdish: banê Şikeftê‎), inhabited members of kurdish kherikan tribe, after being fired upon unknown gunmen in village. ypg checkpoints established around other kherikan villages. kherikan traditionally supporters of massoud barzani government of iraqi kurdistan, , oppose pyd. blockade third time in 2 years hostilities had broken out between pyd/ypg , locals kahf al-assad.

on 7 february, ypg members kidnapped 3 members of opposition azadî party in ayn al-arab.

on 22 february, osman baydemir, mayor of city of diyarbakır in turkey, announced initiation of one-month humanitarian aid programme in city—along surrounding districts of bağlar, yenişehir, kayapınar, , sur—would provide food assistance kurdish areas in syria affected war, had received little of humanitarian aid other regions of syria had received.

on 11 april 2016, pyd supporters attacked offices of kurdish national council , kurdistan democratic party of syria in derbessiye , qamishli. head of kurdish national council told turkey s trt world channel pyd s oppressive attitude in syria forcing kurds leave region .

on 16 january 2017, more 270 syrian kurdish activists signed appeal calling unity talks between main syrian kurdish parties. in response, movement democratic society led pyd stated welcome unity , called on kurdish national council participate in federal project. knc led kdp-s, in response, demanded release political prisoners detained in rojava. knc has rejected federalism project launched syrian democratic council , stated participate in peace talks in astana, kazakhstan, turkey , russia. kurdish national alliance in syria, part of sdc welcomed proposal of unity.

on 3 february 2017, amidst clashes between kdp-s-affiliated peshmerga group , sinjar resistance units in sinjar, knc office burned in qamishli , attacked in dirbêsiyê. knc accused pro-pyd youth group ciwanen soresger of perpetrating attacks. however, perpetrators reportedly arrested asayish.

on 3 march 2017, rojava asayish arrested more 40 members of knc in syria while kdp asayish arrested 23 opposition protesters in iraqi kurdistan. 17 of them later released 6 still imprisoned. 16 march, more 13 knc offices , assyrian democratic organization office in rojava shut down rojava asayish forces, reportedly failing register pyd authorities. in response, human rights watch called on both sides release arbitrarily held political detainees . mesopotamia national council announced support tev-dem s requirement parties apply licenses operate in rojava. however, council called self-management give sufficient time applications , denounced random closing of parties offices.

on 3 april 2017, kurdish national council called on pyd release 4 of detainees: kurdish future movement in syria member, kurdish youth movement member, , 2 kdp-s members. of same day, 6 detainees still held iraqi kurdish authorities.

on 12 april 2017, official in tev-dem met gabriel moushe gawrieh, head of assyrian democratic organization, , discussed closure of latter s offices since march. first time tev-dem officials met ado.