YPG/PYD Attacks SKDP Office in Syria Amid Election Boycott Announcement

Armed assailants, identified as members of the PKK terrorist group’s Syrian offshoot YPG/PYD, launched an attack on the Syrian Kurdistan Democratic Party (SKDP) offices in Hassakeh and Qamishli, Syria, resulting in material damage by setting the building on fire. The SKDP had announced a boycott of the elections organized by the YPG/PYD, criticizing the group’s attempts to monopolize power in northern Syria. The YPG/PYD’s planned elections are deemed illegitimate, contradicting a 2015 U.N. resolution calling for a ceasefire and a Syrian-led political process to ensure the country’s unity and territorial integrity. The group has postponed these elections from May 30 to June 11, aiming to establish autonomous control, potentially leading towards independence. The PKK/YPG has exploited the Syrian civil war to occupy several provinces since 2015, altering the demographic structure, engaging in human rights abuses, and seizing economic resources. Despite U.S. sanctions, it has smuggled oil to the Syrian regime for revenue. The U.S. has supported the YPG/PKK militarily under the guise of fighting terrorism. Türkiye, countering the PKK/YPG to prevent a “terror corridor” along its borders, has conducted military operations and seeks to normalize relations with Damascus, urging its NATO ally to cease support for the group.