On Thursday, chaos unfolded in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa as residents took to the streets to celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The jubilant atmosphere quickly turned tragic, with at least one person killed and 15 wounded due to errant gunfire and clashes with security forces.
According to witnesses and local journalist accounts, Syrians had gathered in the city center to express their joy with celebratory gunfire. However, a man lost control of his machine gun, leading to accidental shootings that left several people injured. The activist group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently reported that while there were many injuries, fortunately, no fatalities were recorded. The man responsible for the incident is said to be affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main Kurdish group in control of the city.
The tension in Raqqa has been escalating since the regime's fall, particularly between the US-backed SDF and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA). Some residents, predominantly Arab, have been calling for the SDF to relinquish control to the FSA, highlighting the underlying complexities in the region.
Following the initial gunfire incident, skirmishes broke out between young men and the local security group associated with the SDF, known as the Internal Security Forces. The clashes involved stone-throwing by the men and gunfire from the security forces in response. Amidst the chaos, attempts were made to storm the Raqqa central court to free detainees, but the security forces intervened and dispersed the crowd with gunfire.
Tragically, at least one person lost their life, and several others were injured during the turmoil outside the court. The Internal Security Forces confirmed that some of their members were also among the injured, underscoring the volatile situation in Raqqa following the regime's downfall.
