"When the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced they would withdraw from the northeastern Syrian cities of Raqqa and Deir Az Zor on January 18, images immediately began to spread of spontaneous celebrations from populations in the two Arab-majority cities. But the latest convulsion in Syria is a tale of two communities. list of 3 itemsend of list The reaction of the people of the region to the entry of the Syrian state and its control over the region is indescribable,"
"But in areas of the northeast with larger Kurdish populations, residents told Al Jazeera that fear over the government's military incursions had gripped the local population. Though the area has also experienced many violent episodes during the last 15 years of war, particularly present in their minds was a repeat of sectarian killings similar to those that erupted along the Syrian coast involving Alawite in Latakia and Druze in Suwayda in the south in 2025."
When the SDF announced withdrawal from Raqqa and Deir Az Zor on January 18, celebrations erupted in Arab-majority cities where residents welcomed Syrian state control. Many Arab residents reported relief from alleged SDF repression and feared forced conscription, saying the situation improved after government entry. In Kurdish-majority areas, residents expressed fear about government military incursions and potential sectarian reprisals, recalling violent episodes and sectarian killings elsewhere in 2025. Abbas Musa described fear as widespread and based on documented experiences. After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, the SDF controlled much of the resource-rich northeast, prompting talks over integration with President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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