There is increasing concern about protests and clashes in Syria’s Al-Hasakah, a mixed city of Arabs and Kurds. The clashes have appeared to pit Arab protesters against Kurds. The United States has expressed concern about the escalating clashes, according to Kurdish media outlet Rudaw. The outlet reports that the US is “urging all sides to refrain from violence and resolve their differences through dialogue.”
Further, “The United States is closely monitoring and concerned by reports of unrest in Al-Hasakah and urges all parties to exercise restraint, reject violence and incitement, and resolve differences through peaceful dialogue,” according to a US State Department spokesperson interviewed by Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda.
Wladimir van Wilgenburg, a journalist and expert on Kurds, posted about the tensions. He noted that the Syrian Kurdish National Council had released a statement. The KNC, he said, “affirmed that the future of the Syrian Jazira region cannot be built through exclusion or the fueling of divisions but rather through partnership and the safeguarding of the dignity and rights of all its people. It emphasized that this approach strengthens the prospects of building a democratic, pluralistic Syria founded on freedom and justice.” The statement was distributed to Welat TV.
“The Council stressed that preserving relations among the region’s inhabitants requires respect for ethnic and cultural distinctiveness, the rejection of accusations of treason, arrogance, and exclusion, and the prioritization of dialogue and national responsibility.”
The unrest in Al-Hasakah has seen Arab demonstrators protesting against Kurds. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) used to control Al-Hasakah until an agreement with the central government in January 2026. That agreement followed clashes between the SDF and Damascus.
Arab-Kurdish tensions threaten Syria's integration efforts
The SDF had been backed by the US since 2015. It had fought and defeated ISIS and liberated areas such as Al-Hasakah from ISIS control. Al-Hasakah is a mixed city with both Arabs and Kurds living side-by-side. As such, it is a potential flashpoint because some of the Arabs have resented Kurdish rule.
The reports say that the Arab protesters demand control of the governing institutions in the city.
Currently, there is a kind of compromise that means Kurds continue to have influence and control in this area along with other areas the SDF once ran. “Tensions escalated after protesters targeted Kurdish symbols, including flags and an image of a woman’s braid, which has recently emerged as a symbol of Kurdish resistance in northeast Syria (Rojava),” Rudaw noted. “Kurdish residents subsequently staged counter-protests, leading to confrontations with state-affiliated security forces. Footage circulated by the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) showed security forces firing into the air to disperse demonstrators.”
There are multiple issues at stake. One is Kurdish language instruction and the Kurdish language appearing on government signs. There are also the tensions between Arab tribes and former members of the SDF. In September, a Kurdish soldier was murdered and then more Kurds died in a prison riot in Kobane.
In general, Damascus and the local authorities have tried to reduce tensions. Reducing tensions usually means that there are no charges for perpetrators on either side. Damascus has tried to integrate the SDF into the new Syrian army. Some Kurdish commanders remained as well. Sipan Hamo, a famed SDF commander, became a deputy defense minister.
Al-Hasakah Governor Nour al-Din Ahmed, who is Kurdish, said on Friday that individuals and groups opposed to the integration agreement between the Kurdish administration in northeast Syria and the government are the ones causing problems. “His remarks came amid rising tensions in Al-Hasakah city, where pro-government protesters have attacked Kurdish symbols, prompting counter-protests by Kurdish residents,” Rudaw noted.
Meanwhile, the US said it “supports a unified, sovereign Syria in which Kurds and all other communities enjoy equal citizenship, security, and meaningful participation in governance.” The US State Department went on to say, “we urge the Syrian government, which includes Kurdish leaders, and local authorities to uphold their commitments, address legitimate concerns, and take practical steps to rebuild trust,” Rudaw added.
Governor Ahmed added that “some figures and parties oppose the agreement [between the SDF and Damascus] and do not want it to be implemented. So they have sought to play with the emotions of the community by finding pretexts to mobilize the public.” Ahmed was appointed by the SDF and approved by Damascus as governor. He is one of the key figures in the effort to reconcile and integrate the former SDF-held areas.
Former SDF commander Mazloum Abdi also spoke in Al-Hasakah province on Friday. He spoke about his commitment to integration. It is not clear when the tensions will be reduced. Some protesters carried an image of Saddam Hussein in a protest on Friday. Some Arab tribes in the Middle Euphrates River Valley near Al-Hasakah have long been linked to Iraqi tribes. They tended to support Saddam over the years.
Saddam Hussein imagery highlights deeper ethnic divisions
Many are aware Saddam Hussein committed genocide against Kurds. Carrying the symbol of Saddam is therefore intended to send a message of hate towards Kurds.
It also reveals the continuing sentiments of some of the tribes, who may feel more connection historically to Iraq than to Syria.
Syrian state media appears to be ignoring the Al-Hasakah clashes. Also North Press media in eastern Syria is ignoring it. This is likely due to a theory that if they ignore it, then tensions will go away. Syria’s government said on Sunday it is seeking to develop a national approach to combating hate speech. To do so it brought “together relevant national institutions and experts from the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria to discuss priorities, coordination and preparations for a national policy.”
Syria’s SANA noted that the meeting, organized by the Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ministry at the Golden Mazzeh Hotel, examined “public discourse in Syria, international principles and standards, approaches adopted in other countries, and the existing national framework and challenges in addressing hate speech.”
The tensions in Al-Hasakah illustrate that more needs to be done to combat hate speech than holding meetings.