This Week in Northern Syria [12.2025]

March 19-25: Newroz, SCG delegation meets with 'Abdi in Hasakah, US sanctions stipulations, and more...

Kurds across Syria celebrated the new years holiday of Newroz on March 20-21. Throughout the northeast large festivities were put on by the SDF (video featuring Mazloum ‘Abdi below), DAANES, and other political parties, some attended by US military delegations.

SDF-controlled al-Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo city (source)

Tishrin dam (source)

US soldiers observe Newroz festivities at al-Hasakah’s Western Dam (source)

Newroz statement in Kurdish published by the US’s Syrian Embassy (source)

Afrin witnessed the largest public celebrations of the holiday since the region was captured by Turkey and the SNA in 2018 (see video below). However local media reported scattered incidents of stone throwing, tearing down of Kurdish flags, and verbal abuse by non-Kurdish IDPs still residing in the region. One Kurdish man was reportedly shot while trying to intervene. In one incident reported in the northern village of Upila members of Furqat al-Hamzah allegedly tried to prevent the lighting of a Newroz fire but GSD forces intervened after complaints by locals.

Basoutah, southeastern Afrin (source)

Kurdish SNA commander Abu Dujanah al-Kurdi attended celebrations put on by the ENKS at Afrin’s Lake Meydankey.

The Governorate of Aleppo published a statement from Governor ‘Azzam Gharib congratulating Syria’s Kurds on the holiday.

Newroz celebrations were also held in Damascus, centered around the historically Kurdish Rukn al-Din neighborhood (video below).