Two pro-government fighters were killed in clashes with Kurdish forces in northeast Syria, Kurdish and security sources said Thursday, in a sign of rising tensions between the two sides.
The two fighters of the National Defense Forces (NDF), a pro-regime Syrian militia, were killed in an exchange of fire late Wednesday with the local Kurdish police force, known as the Asayish, in the city of Qamishli.
Thursday marked the third day of tensions between the two factions, which usually collaborate to fight against jihadist groups.
An Asayish statement said the NDF had "escalated the events" of the previous days.
"An NDF patrol attacked an Asayish patrol... at exactly 10:15 pm (2015 GMT) last night, which led to a clash between the two patrols," the statement said.
The two deaths were confirmed by a regime security source in Hasakeh city, the capital of the province where Qamishli lies.
Qamishli is under the shared control of the Syrian regime and Kurdish authorities, who have declared zones of "autonomous administration" across parts of north and northeast Syria.
Syrian troops and seasoned Kurdish fighters have coordinated on security in Hasakeh province where Islamic State group jihadists have tried to advance.
But tensions have built up between the sometimes-rival authorities, often over their individual military conscription services.
Since Tuesday, Asayish forces in Qamishli have detained at least 20 pro-government fighters, and at least three Kurdish forces are being held by the regime.
On Thursday, the bodies of two more NDF fighters were found outside their home in Qamishli, but the circumstances of their death were unknown, a security source said.
Local Christian figures have been working as mediators to alleviate the tensions, a second security source in Qamishli told AFP.
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.