Luqman Kamal Kousa, a Kurdish citizen, has passed away from injuries sustained during repeated physical assaults while traveling from Afrin to Aleppo during the Newroz holiday. This incident occurs within a context of escalating ethnically motivated violations in northern Syria.
According to documented information, the victim—originally from the Afrin region—was assaulted on the evening of March 21, 2026, while returning from Newroz celebrations. The attack took place at the Al-Shatt checkpoint in the city of Azaz, northern rural Aleppo. Individuals identified as supporters of the interim authorities intercepted and physically assaulted him in full view of members of the Internal Security Forces (affiliated with the Ministry of Interior of the Syrian Government), without any effective intervention recorded to protect him.
Local sources reported that the victim was forced to turn back toward the Afrin region following the first incident. However, he was subjected to a second assault at the Maryamin village junction in rural Afrin, where another group beat him and subjected him to verbal abuse, leading to a critical deterioration of his health.
Luqman Kamal Kousa was transported to a medical facility, where he later succumbed to complications from the assaults. Preliminary indications suggest he suffered severe physical trauma and an acute heart attack.
On Sunday, March 22, 2026, the victim was buried in his home village of Baflun, located in the Sharan district of rural Afrin, while funeral services were held in the city of Aleppo.
This incident is part of a broader escalation of tensions and violations against Kurdish civilians in northern Syria, which intensified on March 21, 2026, coinciding with Newroz celebrations. During this period, multiple incidents were recorded in northern rural Aleppo and the city of Afrin, including physical assaults, the suppression of celebrations, and the burning of Kurdish cultural symbols, alongside the targeting of civilians during transit and the blocking of certain roads.
Furthermore, on March 22, 2026, areas in rural Kobani witnessed similar ethnically motivated attacks, accompanied by the spread of inflammatory rhetoric and a notable absence of effective security measures. These developments raise serious concerns regarding civilian safety and the potential for further escalation of violence.
The data indicates that the death of Luqman Kamal Kousa may be linked to a pattern of ethnically motivated attacks. This highlights the legal and moral responsibility of the de facto security authorities in the region regarding their duty to protect civilians, prevent violations, and ensure accountability.
