At approximately 0311 EST initial reports indicated Assad-regime forces were clashing with National Defense Forces (NDF) in Hasakah, Syria. It is important to note that the NDF was established by the Assad Regime on November 1st, 2012 to form a part-time volunteer militia in support of the Syrian government during the Syrian Civil War. On August 16th, 2023, the Syrian Assad-regime dismissed Abdul Qadir Hamo, a prominent NDF commander in Hasakah. This stemmed from an escalating disagreement between Hamo and Abdul Aziz al-Muslat, a Sheikh of the Jabour Tribe in the city. It appears that Hamo resisted this dismissal and was killed by regime forces during the clashes today.
By 0400 EST, the Syrian government had deployed reinforcements from the 4th Division to Hasakah with mounted infantry and armor as the clashes escalated. By 0500 at least twenty civilian casualties were reported when stray bullets and explosives hit residential areas adjacent to the clashes.
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The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported this:
“…sources have reported that several mortars fell within the residential neighborhoods which are under the control of the Autonomous Administration in Al-Salhiyah, Al-Mufti and Ghuzyran in Al-Hasakah city. However, only material damage was reported.
Moreover, five people, including a woman and an elder, were injured with stray bullets in the clashes erupted between regime forces and members of the National Defense in the city, where they were taken to hospital for treatment.
During the past hours, the security zone in Al-Hasakah city witnessed an escalation between regime forces and Al-Hajanah members of the one hand, and the members of the National Defense on the other hand, where several explosions were heard near Teshreen Park and the State Security branch in Al-Mahatah neighbourhood, accompanied by the eruption of intermittent clashes between both sides, amid using machineguns and bringing in tanks to storm the headquarter of the National Defense after being surrounded by tens of members.”
By 0800 EST, pro-government sources confirmed that National Defense Forces Commander Abdul Qader Hamo had been killed during an assault on the National Defense Forces headquarters. Multiple reports also indicated that thirty-five members of the National Defense Forces had surrendered to Assad-Regime forces.
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As of this publication, it seems that most of the NDF resistance has surrendered to regime forces. However, several social media users are still reporting rocket and gunfire in the city. At least one regime soldier was killed during the assault:
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