ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) early on Tuesday accused groups affiliated with the Damascus government of chanting “inflammatory and hostile” slogans against the force and residents of northeast Syria (Rojava) during celebrations marking the anniversary of the Baath regime’s collapse.

Syria on Monday marked the first anniversary of the fall of Bashar al-Assad, with tens of thousands across the country taking to the streets to celebrate and take part in events organized by Damascus.

During the celebrations, “dangerous actions have emerged from armed groups affiliated with the Ministry of Defense of the Damascus government, accompanied by inflammatory and hostile chants” against the SDF and the people of Rojava, the Kurdish-led force asserted in a statement.

The force argued that the scenes were reminiscent of “the mentality of the Baathist regime against which the Syrians revolted,” adding that the incidents were not limited to individual actions but represented a “repetition of systematic practices aimed at fueling hatred and reviving the rhetoric of division and threats.”

While Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa reiterated calls for development and national unity on the anniversary, several minority groups refrained from celebrations, decrying the new government’s practices of discrimination and persecution over the past year, while some others reported being directly targeted.

The Alawite-majority Syrian coast remained largely committed to the five-day strike announced by influential Alawite cleric Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal, abstaining from celebrations due to the repeated sectarian violence and crackdown the community has faced under Sharaa’s government.

Additionally, the Druze-led National Guards, loyal to the Druze spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hijri, reported multiple attacks on Monday evening by Damascus-affiliated forces using “indiscriminate mortar fire, in addition to drones sent over the contact lines,” in violation of the truce.

Meanwhile, Rojava imposed a complete ban on all public gatherings and events on December 7 and 8, coinciding with the anniversary’s celebrations, citing increased “terrorist” activity which may exploit large gatherings.

On December 8, 2024, rebel groups, spearheaded by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized control of the capital Damascus following a 12-day blitz offensive.

In the wake of Assad’s fall, HTS and affiliated groups dissolved and its membership took up the reins of governance in Syria, forming a transitional government led by Sharaa as the country’s interim president.

Sharaa’s government has been widely criticized for its handling of anti-government movements in Druze and Alawite majority parts of the country, and its security forces have routinely clashed with Kurdish forces in the country’s northeast. State-affiliated armed groups are accused of carrying out dozens of violent campaigns against anti-government groups, killing hundreds of civilians.