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Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Where to?

Iraq's Kurdistan region's President Massoud Barzani speaks during an interview with Reuters in Irbil, Iraq, July 6, 2017.
Iraq's Kurdistan region's President Massoud Barzani speaks during an interview with Reuters in Irbil, Iraq, July 6, 2017.
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Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Where to?

Iraq's Kurdistan region's President Massoud Barzani speaks during an interview with Reuters in Irbil, Iraq, July 6, 2017.
Iraq's Kurdistan region's President Massoud Barzani speaks during an interview with Reuters in Irbil, Iraq, July 6, 2017.

When the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) was established by the deceased political Jalal Talabani in June 1975, the political scene in Iraqi Kurdistan was free of any Kurdish political organization due to the collapse of the Kurdish revolution, which was led by Kurdistan Democratic Party under the leadership of deceased Mulla Mustafa Barzani.

Months after its establishment, PUK announced the Kurdish revolution against the Iraqi ruling regime as if it wanted to present itself as a substitute for the Kurdistan Democratic Party on the political scene. Throughout a decade and a half, PUK underwent a bitter military battle in the mountains of Kurdistan not only against the ruling regime in Baghdad but only against the majority of leftist Kurdish political organizations and blocs.

It seems that Talabani political cunning and vision have changed the political equations and brought down the balances of power in the Kurdish interior.

PUK attracted Kurdish leftist forces in which the approaches, belongings and political visions met. The internal condition in the union remained this way until 2008 when the second man and one of its founders Nawshirwan Mustafa decided to secede from it and form the Movement for Change. Subsequently, internal problems and political conflicts aggravated.

The scene was repeated with the second man Barham Salih dissociation.

Despite all this, Saadi Ahmad Pira, spokesperson for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), stated to Asharq Al-Awsat that the union is still strong and united because it is a mass party that has been struggling since around five decades and has deep roots in the Kurdish community not to mention the wide mass foundation that wouldn’t abandon it no matter what.

Pira added that there is an anonymity on the conference to be held this year since the committees entrusted with organizing the conference are done with most of the required arrangements.

Council member Asos Ali declared to Asharq Al-Awsat that the party will move towards more solidarity after the conference, and will rearrange its papers in preparation for its future tasks.

“The new leadership to be concluded from the conference will be capable of putting an end to internal conflicts and moving the party into a new stage,” he added.

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Clashes Erupt between Local Factions, Armed Tribal Groups in Syria’s Suwayda

Scenes of normal life in the town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya (SANA)
Scenes of normal life in the town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya (SANA)
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Clashes Erupt between Local Factions, Armed Tribal Groups in Syria’s Suwayda

Scenes of normal life in the town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya (SANA)
Scenes of normal life in the town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya (SANA)

Intense clashes erupted in southern Syria between local factions in Suwayda province and armed tribal groups from the surrounding countryside, stoking fears of renewed sectarian violence between communities in Suwayda and neighboring Daraa.

The fighting broke out in the western countryside of Suwayda, just a day after Druze religious leaders and community elders announced the start of an agreement intended to bring stability to the area. Conflicting reports have emerged about the reasons behind the escalation.

Local Telegram channels reported what they called a “military escalation” as armed Bedouin groups, described as “outlaws,” were accused of attempting to break a siege around Bedouin-inhabited villages in the western countryside. Mortar exchanges and machine gun fire were reported between the two sides.

In particular, the village of Al-Dara, home to Bedouin tribes, was reportedly shelled from the nearby town of Al-Thaala. In response, tribal fighters launched a counteroffensive, leading to clashes that involved the use of heavy weaponry.

The independent news outlet Suwayda 24 reported that Al-Thaala itself came under attack from unknown groups firing mortars and machine guns from the western outskirts of the town. The incident triggered a gun battle between local defenders and the attackers.

Rumors further fueled tensions, with some claiming that local factions attempted to destroy a mosque and targeted civilian neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Al-Rasid, another outlet covering Suwayda, noted a sharp increase in provocative videos and audio messages alleging that Suwayda factions were besieging tribal areas and setting fire to mosques.

Officials have denied these claims. Religious leaders reaffirmed that mosques remained protected by local factions. Despite this, armed groups from eastern Daraa, reportedly not locals, began shelling Suwayda villages.

Sources in Daraa told Suwayda 24 that these groups, arriving on motorcycles and in vehicles equipped with mortars and heavy weapons, have been trying to provoke unrest for days. Videos and messages circulated on WhatsApp were allegedly aimed at inciting local communities.

The clashes have already had humanitarian consequences. Mortar attacks on villages including Haran, Al-Thaala, Rasas, and Ara resulted in the death of one civilian and injuries to eight others. Dozens of families, particularly women and children, have fled to safer areas.

Local sources say the violence is a deliberate attempt to sow discord between the Druze and tribal communities. They urged residents of both Suwayda and Daraa to resist incitement and work together to de-escalate the situation.

Meanwhile, Syria’s Interior Ministry announced the release of 22 detainees from the towns of Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya in Damascus Countryside, stating they were not involved in bloodshed during recent unrest.

Separately, the Israeli military announced it had raided and destroyed a former Syrian regime command post on Mount Hermon. Israeli forces reportedly uncovered weapons caches and military infrastructure during the operation and seized the materials.