Syria: Pro-Government Tribal Forces March in Raqqa City

The Arabic-language al-Watan daily reported that a large convoy of tribal forces, affiliated to Qowat al-Sanadid pro-government troops, marched in Raqqa city streets and chanted slogans in support for the Syrian Army.

The daily further said that Qowat al-Sanadid members are from the Arab Shamer tribe that was once formed to fight the ISIL terrorists and joined the Syrian Democratic Forces in 2015.

In the meantime, local sources in Central Raqqa reported that a sum of fifty bodies of civilians were discovered from under debris of the buildings since last Thursday, adding that the buildings had been destroyed in the US-led coalitions’ airstrikes in Harra al-Bado neighborhood.

An Arab media outlet reported on Monday that Kurdish militia groups were showing strong signs in their talks with Damascus authorities of their desire to give up their quest for autonomy and surrender the Kurdish-ruled territories to the Central government in return for insignificant demands.

The Arabic-language al-Watan daily reported that several meetings were held between senior officials of Damascus government and the Kurdish militias in the town of Qamishli in Northern Syria and also in Damascus.

“Under an agreement held by the two sides, the Kurdish groups have agreed to take a number of actions that also include collecting the entire images of Abdullah Ocalan, one of the founding members of the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, as well as the Kurdish militias’ official signs and flags from all their territories,” the report continued.

It went on to say that retreat of all Kurdish militias to Hasaka province and erecting joint checkpoints to be run by the Kurds and the government forces across Hasaka province are also among other terms of the agreement.

Other sources said that the agreement endorsed by the Kurds and the army entails several more paragraphs that include the presence of the Kurdish militias among the ranks of the Syrian army, surrender of Tal Kojar and Simalka border-crossing with Iraq and al-Darbasiyeh and Ra’as al-Ein border-crossing with Turkey to the Damascus army and delivering control over oil and gas fields to the Syrian Oil Ministry.

The sources further said that, in return, the Kurds have asked for the start of Kurdish-language courses in the educational program in Kurdish regions and appointment of a Kurdish official to a high post in the Syrian oil ministry.

Al-Watan went on to say that the Kurdish units have already embarked on collecting PYD flags and the photos of its leader from streets in Qamishli and Hasaka city.

In the meantime, other Syrian media outlets said that the Syrian Democratic forces’ decision to hand over Raqqa city to the army will be the first confidence-building measure between the two sides.

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad had earlier warned that the Kurdish militias would face the tough option if they prove to be unwilling to resolve their differences with Damascus through talks.