Kobani security forces deployed after protest over SDF-linked fighter’s killing
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Security forces on Friday reinforced their presence in the northern Syrian city of Kobani after a protest over the killing of an SDF-linked fighter turned violent, according to the Syrian Interior Security Forces and state media.
The Interior Security Forces said several of their members were wounded after protesters in Kobani threw stones, while gunfire was reported and several security buildings were set on fire. Security forces arrested a number of people involved and continued searching for others, it said.
The violence followed a demonstration over the killing of Sami Sheikh Moussa Hasso, known as Sipan Karmi (Hizni), a fighter who had been integrated into the security structures under the ongoing SDF-Damascus integration process. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said protests over his killing spread across Hasakah Governorate, including Hasakah city, Qamishli, Amuda and Derbasiyah.
Hesso’s killing has raised tensions in a region undergoing a sensitive security transition. According to the Observatory, he was abducted and taken to Mount Abdulaziz in Hasakah countryside before being killed amid accusations linked to the deaths of members of the Baggara tribe’s Bu Hassan clan about two years ago.
The incident comes as Damascus and the SDF implement their January integration agreement, which calls for the gradual incorporation of SDF military and security personnel into Syria’s Defense and Interior ministries. The deal also envisages integrating local security forces and establishing state authority while maintaining local security arrangements in Kurdish-majority areas, including Kobani.
The unrest was followed by a separate fire at Kobani prison early Friday that killed three inmates and left 26 suffering from smoke inhalation, according to preliminary information. The cause remained unclear.