Syrian government rejects YPG demand for special units, launches major operation

The newly established Syrian government under leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has launched a large-scale military operation targeting the YPG (People’s Defense Units), a Kurdish militia accused of ties to the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party), a designated terrorist organization.

The operation, aimed at eliminating the group's presence in Syria, comes in response to YPG's refusal to disband and sever ties with the PKK, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

Despite diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful resolution, including a direct request from the al-Sharaa administration for the YPG to "lay down their arms" and "officially sever ties with the PKK," the group has pushed back with an ultimatum. The YPG demanded that special units be formed from them as part of the new Syrian army, seeking to maintain a parallel military force, as well as a 50% share of the oil and underground resources in the regions they control. These demands were firmly rejected by the Syrian government.

The rejection of these terms prompted a swift military response. Syrian forces, supported by the Suleyman Shah Brigade and local tribes, have seized several strategically important villages in the Tishrin Dam region, including the town of Graniç, located east of the Euphrates River in Deir ez-Zor. The operation has also involved the deployment of tanks from the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group to reinforce the efforts.

The YPG, reportedly cornered and under significant pressure, has attempted to seek support from the United States in a bid to delay the inevitable, though no concrete support has materialized at this stage.

By Khagan Isayev