ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdish-led northeast Syria (Rojava) administration on Thursday condemned the escalation of violence by Damascus-linked factions, urging the international community to prevent a potential “new war in Syria.” 

The Democratic Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (DAANES) expressed “its deep concern and strong condemnation of the unjustified escalation by factions affiliated with the Syrian Transitional Government in Damascus.”

It called on the international community to “take clear positions and serious, effective steps to prevent the instigation of any new war in Syria,” and to support political processes that lead to a “lasting peace.”

Tensions between the Kurdish-led and Syrian forces peaked last week when government-linked factions advanced into Aleppo’s Kurdish majority quarter in an effort to drive the Kurdish-led fighters out of the area, leading to days-long clashes that caused hundreds of civilian casualties and displaced more than 155,000.

Damascus then declared east Aleppo’s Deir Hafer and Maskana areas “closed military zones” urging the residents to evacuate the area through a humanitarian corridor, and announcing its intentions to draw the Kurdish forces out of the areas.

The DAANES called on Damascus to “exercise wisdom and responsibility in its decisions, prioritizing negotiation and political solutions over the language of war and weapons,” arguing this serves the country’s unity and interests of Syrians.

“The language of dialogue and responsible discussion for resolving outstanding issues must prevail among all Syrian forces,” it added, rejecting the language of “threats, war, and weapons, which will only lead to further bloodshed and destruction.”

The tensions, according to DAANES, undermine “any serious political process,” and will deepen the fragmentation among Syria’s components.

The developments threaten a shaky March 10 agreement, signed between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Damascus, that would see the SDF 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 administration further urged Syrian forces and actors to work towards “a decentralized Syria that guarantees the rights of all its citizens without exception.”

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.