Rumors of handing regions to Syrian government caused public dismay: Raqqa’s Sheikhs
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – On Monday,dignitaries and Sheikhs of Raqqa, Syria’s northern city, said the rumors spreading in the city that areas of the Autonomous Administration will be handed over to the Syrian government caused public dismay.
Tribal leaders and Sheikhs of the two cities of Raqqa and Tabqa held a meeting yesterday, in the Culture and Art Center in the city center of Raqqa.
The meeting was attended by representatives of Raqqa’s Civil Council, the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria (Asayish), the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Raqq’as Military Council.
The meeting discussed news of handing the region over to the Syrian government.
“The rumors of handing the region over to the Syrian government have caused panic among the people,” Hamed al-Faraj, leader of al-Welda tribe said.
“Some parties have resorted to spread chaos in the last few days exploiting the Turkish threats of a military action against the region and news of Russia’s role in the negotiations underway,” al-Faraj added.
Ahmad Shawa, the Relations’ official in the Green Idlib Council, said yesterday that the marginalized meetings Erdogan held with the Russian and the US presidents, which were not fruitful, have prompted Erdogan to threat a fresh military action against Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Al-Faraj called to strengthen the border points between the areas held by the Autonomous Administration and those held by the Syrian government forces and Iranian-backed factions in Raqqa’s countryside in order to prevent any breaches.
Syrian government forces and Iranian-backed factions control the southeastern countryside of Raqqa, cities of al-Sabkha and Ma’dan and towns and villages of the western and southern countryside of Raqqa.
In the last few days, local webpages posted that the SDF and the Autonomous Administration signed a memorandum of understanding with the government forces concerning the cities of Raqqa, Tabqa and Deir ez- Zor.
News went viral that Syrian government forces entered the cities under a Russian-brokered deal.
Muhammad al-So’an, leader of al-Sabkha tribe, said “the rumors have negatively affected the residents in these cities and they fear that the Syrian government forces will re-enter the cities.”