Syria: No end to conflict between Kurds, central government

At one stage it seemed like the fighting between the Syrian government troops and Syrian Kurdish paramilitaries had ended.

On Sunday, the Syrian government declared it had taken control over the areas Aleppo previously under the control of the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF. And the Kurdish forces announced they were pulling back. During the fighting, buildings were destroyed, at least two dozen people were killed and reports say that more than 140,000 people were displaced.

But then on Tuesday this week, the Syrian government accused the Kurdish paramilitary of regrouping and alleged they were doing so in coordination with armed remnants of Syrian's former dictatorial regime, headed by Bashar Assad.

The government then declared rural areas east of Aleppo a military exclusion zone, which apparently led to renewed fighting as well as the destruction of bridges connecting areas held by the Syrian Kurds with the rest of Syria.

There is a huge amount of disinformation circulating about the fighting and details differ depending on who is recounting events. But one thing is clear: There are fears that the conflict between the Syrian government and the Syrian Kurds will escalate.

Recent fighting began after talks on an agreement to integrate Kurdish forces into the Syrian general military faltered yet again.

The interim Syrian government insists that the Kurdish fighters should join the general army. However, the Syrian Kurdish fighters want to maintain separate Kurdish regiments.

Although there has been some concord on other points about Kurdish political and societal integration, this has been a major stumbling block. That's despite an agreement on the topic first signed by both sides in March 2025.

During the 14 years of Syria's civil war, the Syrian Kurds managed to take control of a large part of oil-rich northeastern Syria and they have been reluctant to give that up. The area they control is called the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, or DAANES. It is also known as Rojava.

The Kurdish paramilitaries did not engage in the civil war against Syrian dictator Bashar Assad but they did combat the extremist group known as the "Islamic State" when that group took over parts of Syria and Iraq. In doing so, they became trusted partners of the US and American troops were stationed in DAANES.

The US has been credited with halting the latest round of fighting in Aleppo.

Many of the demands the Syrian Kurds are making are understandable, says Middle East expert Birgit Schäbler, a professor at the University of Erfurt in Germany. "Based on their own historical experiences, the Kurds are demanding cultural and political rights," she told DW. "They were discriminated against under both Assad regimes [Bashar and his father, Hafez], their language was banned at times, and despite making up a significant segment of the population, they were never able to take on the role they should have had."

After these experiences, the Kurds want to prevent any sort of renewed marginalization and are striving for some form of self-governance, Schäbler says.

But the new Syrian government also has its issues and these too are understandable, Schäbler explains. It is opposed to any kind of decentralized system of governance for the country because then that triggers the danger of other minority groups in Syria also demanding some sort of self-rule, she says.

Syria's powerful neighbor, Turkey — which backs the interim government  — firmly rejects any sort of autonomy for Syria's Kurds, Schäbler notes. Turkey sees the SDF as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which Turkey considers terrorists and which has historically fought in Turkey for Kurdish independence.

Turkey would like to see the Syrian Kurds integrated into the new Syrian military but not as separate Kurdish units.

Discussions about military integration were a "key factor in the failure of the talks," Schäbler points out.

Up until now, the US has remained relatively neutral. On one hand, the US says its wants a united Syria and has expressed support for Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa — despite the fact he was previously a wanted extremist.  And on the other hand, US troops continue to depend on the SDF when it comes to fighting the "Islamic State" group.

The US' role is difficult to assess definitively, Schäbler says. "What is particularly striking is its silence. Whether it is deliberately remaining in the background or letting the conflict run its course is unclear. The latter would be problematic."

Other analysts at the Washington-based think tank, Arab Center, have called for swift moves to build trust between the two sides in order to contain the risk of further escalation.

For example, they suggest the Kurds should recognize Syrian sovereignty by, for example, handing over border crossings and regulating oil deliveries. At the same time, the Syrian government should ensure that the Kurdish minority is more integrated politically and should also assume security for the northeast of the country. Without progress on this, the Arab Center experts say, there's risk of further fragmentation in Syria, which also brings significant consequences to the rest of the region.

Erfurt University expert Schäbler shares this view. In the worst-case scenario, the country could be heading back to war, she warns.

"While I still consider this unlikely, the risk is real," the expert told DW. "And since it [this conflict] involves around 30% of Syrian territory, an escalation would have enormous repercussions."

A new civil war would be particularly devastating for Syrian civilians and the ongoing process of state building, she concludes.

This story was originally published in German.