ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The recent attacks by Damascus-affiliated factions on Kurdish-led forces are part of an “invasion plan” targeting Kurds in northeast Syria (Rojava), the leader of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) told The New Region on Thursday, stressing that Damascus is seeking to expand its territory further. 

A week ago, Damascus-affiliated divisions carried out a military operation in Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods in an attempt to draw the Kurdish-led internal security forces (Asayish) out of the area, which resulted in days-long violent clashes that caused hundreds of civilian casualties and displaced around 155,000.

Following the clashes, the Syrian government declared east Aleppo’s Deir Hafer and Maskana areas “closed military zones,” urging residents to evacuate through a humanitarian corridor as the Syrian army intends to carry out an operation to drive out the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) east of Euphrates.

Rohilat Afrin, commander of the all-female YPJ - a core component of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - dubbed the offensive an “invasion plan,” asserting that the government-linked factions will not stop at west of the Euphrates but plan to advance further into Rojava’s territory.

“They started in Aleppo, today they are in Maskana and Deir Hafer, after that they will advance into Tabqa, Raqqa, and Hasaka. This is a complete invasion plan and policy that is being carried out,” Afrin told The New Region.

The YPJ chief said they do not expect the attack to be restricted to the borders of Deir Hafer and Maskana, stressing “for now they are saying [they seek] west of Euphrates, but advancing into east of Euphrates is being planned for and negotiated.”

Female fighters in Rojava, spearheaded by the all-female YPJ, have become a symbol of resilience and strength worldwide for playing a key role in defeating the terror of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria.

The Asayish on Thursday announced the closure of all gates in the areas of “Tabqa, Raqqa, and Deir ez-Zor until further notice,” citing dangerous security conditions at the crossings and escalating risks following the closure of internal gates by the Syrian government.

The Democratic Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (DAANES) condemned the ongoing attacks by the Damascus-affiliated factions, calling on the Syrian government to resort to dialogue in addressing their outstanding issues, and to reject the language of “threats, war, and weapons, which will only lead to further bloodshed and destruction.”

The administration also called on the international community to take the necessary measures to prevent a “new war in Syria.”

The developments threaten a shaky agreement signed in March, between the Kurdish-led SDF and Damascus, that would see the force and Rojava’s institutions integrate into the Syrian state apparatus.

The implementation of the agreement was long stalled by continued clashes between the two sides and disagreements on core governing principles, with the Kurdish authorities demanding a decentralized Syria while Damascus maintained its centralized stance.

The Syrian government has been widely criticized for its continuous crackdown on minority communities, with two major operations against the Alawites and Druze in March and July respectively, leading to the death of thousands of civilians.