Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
January 26, 2022
The Syrian Opposition Coalition’s (SOC) stresses that civilians in al-Hasaka are the number one victim of the ongoing fighting between the terrorist organizations ISIS and the PKK. It also stresses that these clashes constitute the sole raison d’être for both terrorist groups, and risk displacing more people from their homes.
The relationship between both organizations is of mutual benefits despite the battles that are taking place between them. The PKK terrorist organization and its franchises in Syria derive their raison d’être and the international cover for their activities from the fight against ISIS. The PKK terrorist group uses ISIS as a pretext to impose its control over the region, loot its resources, displace its people, commit war crimes and terrorist practices that are no less heinous than ISIS crimes. These include murder, mass forced displacement, arbitrary arrest, the kidnapping of children and taking them by force to training camps and recruitment or sending them to the Qandil Mountains.
The SOC calls on the international parties to assume their responsibilities with regard to protecting civilians, enabling the local population to remain in their homes and lands, preventing terrorist militias from displacing more residents, lifting the blockade on the besieged neighborhoods in al-Hasaka by the PKK terrorist group, stopping the indiscriminate bombardment of these neighborhoods, and prevent their displacement and the destruction of their property under the pretext of fighting ISIS.
The SOC also calls on the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to take urgent action and provide all forms of support and assistance to civilians and those displaced due to the clashes. It stresses the need to allow rights monitoring groups to investigate violations against the civilian population. It also warns of attempts by the PYD terrorist militia to turn the ongoing displacement into systematic displacement of the local population.
