On Saturday, 21 March 2026, various areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo and the city of Afrin witnessed a series of violations against Kurdish civilians. These included physical assaults, the burning of Kurdish flags, and the suppression of Nowruz celebrations, occurring amid an escalation in incitement rhetoric and threats of a nationalist nature.
Local sources and video footage documented, on Saturday, 21 March 2026, an incident involving the assault of a Kurdish in the city of Azaz in the northern countryside of Aleppo. A group of individuals reportedly beat him and set his motorcycle on fire, allegedly because he had raised the Kurdish flag.
In the same context, video recordings showed a group burning the Kurdish flag during Nowruz celebrations, reflecting an escalation in hostility toward Kurdish national symbols.
Another incident was recorded in the Al-Fardous neighborhood in the city of Aleppo, where two individuals removed a Kurdish flag from a vehicle during the celebrations.
These violations occur against the backdrop of a wave of incitement and threats targeting Kurds, as social media pages circulated messages containing direct threats. Information further indicated that groups blocked the Aleppo–Afrin road at the junctions of Haritan, Hayan, Tel Rifaat, and Azaz, where Kurdish civilians were stopped and assaulted. These violations intensified on 21 March 2026 following the circulation of a video showing an individual in the city of Kobani lowering the new Syrian flag.
In the city center of Afrin, local sources reported that groups assaulted Kurdish civilians on Saturday, 21 March 2026, during Nowruz celebrations. The violations included beatings, verbal insults of a nationalist nature, and the burning of Kurdish flags.
Sources also documented incidents dating back to the evening of Friday, 20 March 2026, when a group from outside the area attacked residents during Nowruz eve celebrations by chanting provocative slogans, blocking roads, and removing Kurdish flags.
The sources indicated the involvement of certain members of the Internal Security Forces and the Criminal Security in supporting these groups and participating in provocative practices, including the removal of Kurdish flags.
Acts of vandalism targeting civilian property were also recorded, as groups smashed vehicles belonging to Kurdish civilians in the Aleppo countryside, allegedly in connection with the lowering of the Syrian flag in the city of Kobani (Ain al-Arab).
In response, the Internal Security Directorate in Kobani (Asaish) announced the arrest of a young man (K.A.) in connection with the incident, stating that his actions constituted an individual act and pledging to take the necessary legal measures against him.
These incidents indicate a concerning escalation in violations of a nationalist character against Kurds in northern Syria, particularly during the occasion of Nowruz. These violations include physical assaults, incitement, restrictions on freedom of movement, and the targeting of cultural symbols, amid an absence or failure by the relevant security authorities to protect civilians and ensure their rights.
