Kurdish YPG militia vow reprisal against airstrikes by Syrian army

The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) said in a statement Thursday that it will not stand indifferent to the shelling of the Syrian army.

The YPG said the Syrian warplanes "violently" shelled areas in the province of Hasakah on Thursday, as well as positions of the Kurdish security forces, known as Assayish, in that area, causing a state of "panic" among the people there.

It said the airstrikes were coupled by shelling from heavy artillery and mortar shells, leaving tens of civilians either dead or wounded.

The shelling and airstrikes also pushed some people to flee the city, the statement of the YPG added.

It admitted that previous confrontations and shelling between the Assayish and the Syrian forces had taken place in the past, but the Syrian air force didn't carry as many airstrikes as it did on Thursday.

The YPG contended that the Syrian airstrikes came to undermine the "sweeping victories" scored by the YPG and its militia called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against the Islamic State (IS) group.

It continued to charge that the Syrian regime "sees the defeat of the IS as a defeat for itself because they (regime forces) are still counting on the IS to achieve what is left of their dirty scheme."

"This step by the regime is like committing suicide," the statement added.

"We will not stand silent about this brutal and flagrant attacks that target our people, who we will stand firmly to protect. Whoever has his hands smeared with our people's blood will be held accountable by all available means," the statement concluded.

The statement is the latest escalation of the Kurdish militant group, which has controlled much of al-Hasakah province over the past five years.

The SDF, has also achieved several victories against the IS with the help of the U.S.-led airstrikes in the northern province of Aleppo, the latest of which was driving the terror group out of its last major stronghold in the town of Manbej near Turkey.

The YPG and other Kurdish militant groups have started assuming positions in Hasakah since 2012.

At the time, reports emerged about a tacit agreement between the Kurds and the Syrian government.

Even though many Kurdish figures denied it, but it's widely believed that the Kurds are planning to carve out a piece in northern Syria with heavy Kurdish weight as their autonomous state. Endit