This Week in Northern Syria [18.2025]

April 30 - May 6: The end of Tishrin demonstration, new intel chief al-Salamah, controversial Abu Hatim appointment, and more...

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DAANES/SDF

• 04/30/25: Germany reportedly repatriated a women and four children held in DAANES camps for IS-linked families within the context of a visit by the German Foreign Ministry.

• 04/30/25: The New Arab reported 25,000 students in al-Hasakah risk not being able to take preparatory and secondary school certificate exams due to the lack of agreement between the government’s Ministry of Education and the DEAANES Education Authority regarding opening test centers in the governorate. Prior to the fall of the regime tests were taken in the regime-controlled “security squares” of al-Hasakah and al-Qamishli cities where government schools still operated; areas full captured by the SDF in early December.

• 04/30/25: The DAANES Energy Authority put out a statement warning of low water levels behind the Euphrates dam located in western al-Raqqah. According to the statement the water level of the Euphrates dam lake is six meters lower than the usual level this time of year. This threatens both water supply and the amount of electricity generated at the dam.

• 05/05/25: A delegation from the DAANES Executive Council visited Tishrin dam where they announced an end to the demonstration that has taken place at the dam since January 8th. This comes after the Coalition-sponsored agreement reached with the Syrian government in mid-April for the SDF to withdraw east of the river, demilitarizing the site for the dam to return to normal operation. The DAANES-organized demonstration was a source of several controversies as it sent civilians to a site located just a couple kilometers behind active front lines, was targeted several times by Turkish drones and SNA anti-tank missiles reportedly leading to the deaths of 24 protestors over the course of January, and, according to some reports, involved coercive mobilization of some public officials from Arab regions - though certainly many of those taking part were committed activists.

  

  Center left-right: Executive Council co-chairs Hussein Othman and Evîn Siwêd