ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq  - Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Friday vowed to hold accountable any side found guilty of having opened fire on people in Raqqa who gathered at the city’s center to celebrate the rising of Syria’s new flag in the town and across regions under Kurdish control in north and east Syria, wounding over 40 civilians. 

 

"We assure you that we are committed to addressing all issues peacefully, and we will not allow any violations. We also affirm our commitment to holding accountable any party proven to be involved [in the incident],” Abadi wrote in a post on X on Friday. 

 

The semi-autonomous Kurdish enclave of north and east Syria, known as Rojava announced on Thursday it would raise the independence flag used by the Syrian opposition across the institutions under their control after the Islamist-led rebels ousted Bashar al-Assad.

 

Soon after the decision was made, the people of Raqqa poured into the city center to celebrate the decision.

 

Hawar News Agency (ANHA), which is affiliated with the Kurdish administration in northeast Syria said "masked men fired live bullets at the citizens” injuring 43 celebrators and a number of local security forces members.

 

ANHA accused their arch-foe Turkey of being behind the attack to “push towards a civil war and incite sedition."

 

In his message to the people of Raqqa, SDF commander Abdi said “Your security and stability are our priority, and any escalation or tension only serves the enemies of peace who seek to exploit these circumstances to achieve their interests."

 

"Raqqa and its people deserve a dignified and safe life, and we will spare no effort to achieve that. We promise you that there will be practical and transparent steps to address the current situation,” he vowed. 

 

Following the overthrow of Assad, the independence flag was hoisted across Syria and the country's diplomatic missions abroad. 

 

The US-backed Kurdish forces currently control the bulk of northeastern and eastern regions of Syria, amounting to a quarter territory of the country. Formed in 2015, the SDF is considered the Kurdish de facto army in Syria.

 

Turkey considers the YPG, which is the backbone of the SDF, as inextricably linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), however, the YPG insists that they merely subscribe to similar ideology.

 

The PKK is an armed group that has fought for increased Kurdish rights in Turkey for decades. The group is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara.