Syria opens investigation into reports of massacres by SDF in Hasakah

Syria’s Interior Ministry said on Sunday evening that it has opened investigations to verify reports of mass killing in Hasakah province in the north-east, which is under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The ministry said the move followed the circulation of videos on social media that appear to show SDF fighters, linked to the YPG group in Syria, committing killings in Hasakah after a ceasefire agreement was signed with the government.

Syrian activists also reported field executions carried out by the group against Arab families in Hasakah, describing them as acts of revenge after recent defeats suffered by the SDF against the Syrian army.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry said it is “following with great interest and seriousness the reports received about the occurrence of massacres in Hasakah province”. It added that the relevant authorities have “immediately begun the necessary investigation procedures to verify the information received”.

Earlier on Sunday, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a ceasefire agreement that includes the integration of the SDF into the government.

Under the agreement, civilian institutions will be merged into Syrian state institutions, while SDF fighters will be integrated as individuals into the Syrian Ministry of Defence. Border crossings and oil and gas fields will also return to the control of the government in Damascus.