ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Syria’s Democratic Union Party (PYD) on Monday called on Syrian presidential advisor Mazloum Abdi to fulfill his “responsibilities” following an episode of violence against internally displaced Kurds returning to their homes, saying the attacks “contravene” the January integration agreement made with Damascus.

Earlier on Monday, footage showed a group of displaced Kurds from the town of Gire Spi (Tal Abyad) in northern Syria being attacked upon arriving in the city as they attempted to return to their homes.

Shortly after, the committee for displaced people from the town of Sari Kani condemned the attacks, noting that more than 100 Kurdish families were “trapped” inside the Gire Spi district directorate building, calling on authorities for their urgent intervention to protect and ensure their safety, read a statement from the committee.

Following the incident, local media reported that internal security forces were dispatched to the location to assist the families trapped there.

A group of displaced Kurds from the town of Gire Spi (Tal Abyad) in northern Syria were attacked upon arriving in the city as they attempted to return to their homes, local media and a war monitor reported on Monday. https://t.co/YqxeCH4hCe

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“We call upon Mr. Mazloum Abdi, the governor of Raqqa, and all relevant officials within the Syrian government to fulfill their legal and national responsibilities. We urge them to take the necessary measures to halt these violations, hold those responsible to account, and engage with the relevant parties to protect Kurdish families and ensure their security and rights,” the PYD said in a statement.

The PYD was the ruling party during the era of Kurdish-led autonomous rule in northeast Syria (Rojava) during the Syrian civil war, while Abdi served as chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the autonomous administration's primary military force.

In January, Damascus and the now-dissolved SDF reached an agreement to integrate the Kurdish-led forces into the Syrian security apparatus on the heels of a Syrian military invasion of Rojava that brought about an end to autonomous rule.

A key point in the landmark agreement was the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs), including Kurdish civilians who were displaced in Turkish operations across Afrin, Sari Kani, and Gire Spi (Tal Abyad) between 2018 and 2019.

The violent incident “contravenes key provisions” of the January agreement regarding the safe and dignified return of refugees, the PYD added.

The PYD further called for the establishment of a “special committee,” tasked with ensuring a safe and dignified return of the IDPs, while expressing “full solidarity” with those affected and reaffirming PYD’s commitment “to uphold their right.”

It also called for those responsible for the violations to be held accountable.

“Gire Spi is not a land without owners; its indigenous inhabitants must not be subjected to imposed violations, nor should they be deprived of their legitimate rights to their land, property, and identity.”

Earlier in August, the committee for displaced people from the town of Sari Kani announced that it had temporarily suspended further return convoys until guarantees are provided for the safe return of displaced families, following attacks on returnees.

The developments followed the arrival of a convoy carrying more than 400 families from an IDP camp in Hasaka to Sari Kani (Ras al-Ayn). Footage circulating online appeared to show returnees being attacked by armed men.

In March, Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa agreed to form an official committee tasked with ensuring the return of IDPs from Afrin and Sari Kani to their areas of origin.