Intra-Syrian Kurdish tensions rise amid Turkey's new anti-PKK offensive
The latest flare-up further hampers US efforts to resume peace talks between the two major parties.
A top official from the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which shares power in the US-backed Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, has refuted charges that it is behind a spate of arson attacks against offices of the opposition Kurdistan National Congress (KNC). Salih Muslim, a senior figure in the PYD’s presidential council, said, “We have no idea who is behind these attacks. Our security forces, the Asayish, have launched investigations to identify and catch the perpetrators. But we are certainly not linked to them in any way.”
The rebuttal follows calls from the KNC for the United States to intervene to halt the attacks. At least three attacks were reported in Hasakah, Darbasiyah and Malikiyah.
KNC officials said it’s office in the town of Kobane had been set on fire this evening along with that belonging to the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria (KDP-S).
KNC officials blamed the PYD and Ciwanen Soresger, a youth group affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The KNC offices were targeted April 18-19.
