PKK/YPG detains eleven Syrian soldiers

Eleven Syrian army soldiers were detained by the PKK/YPG terrorist organisation after they “lost their way and entered one of its checkpoints” in the Deir Hafir region, south of Manbij in Aleppo province, according to Syrian security sources.

The incident comes amid growing tensions between the Damascus administration and the PKK/YPG, which continues to push for an autonomous identity in northern Syria. Sporadic clashes between the Syrian army and the group have been reported in the Deir Hafir countryside in recent days, Caliber.Az reports per Turkish media. 

Sources indicate that the PKK/YPG has been moving militants and weaponry from Raqqa province to the Deir Hafir frontline, particularly during ongoing unrest in the southern Suwayda province.

A senior Syrian government official condemned the PKK/YPG’s actions, stating that the group’s demands for recognition as a separate identity violate the country’s core principle of citizenship. The official also rejected the PKK/YPG's proposal to join the Syrian national army as a bloc without undergoing full integration.

"The only path to a lasting political solution lies in a return to the state, within the framework of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," the official said. "This can only be achieved through genuine national dialogue—without preconditions and free from the threat of arms."

By Sabina Mammadli