Syrian Kurdish forces accuse Damascus of killing five people

Kurdish forces in Syria accused Damascus of killing five people in an attack near the northern town of Kobane on Monday, despite a ceasefire between the two sides.

The incident came as the Syrian government and Kurdish forces traded blame over breaching their ceasefire agreement, which was extended by 15 days on Saturday.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which have lost control of large areas to government forces during weeks of clashes, now find themselves restricted to Kobane and Kurdish-majority parts of the northeast.

In a statement, the SDF accused "Damascus-affiliated factions" of killing five civilians and wounding five others from the same family in the village of Kharab Ashk.

It added that the attack came amid "intense shelling that targeted the village using artillery, tanks and unmanned aerial vehicles".

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said five people were killed in the attack, adding that a "Turkish drone was likely" behind it.

Ankara is a key ally of the new authorities in Damascus and has often launched attacks against Kurdish forces in Syria, whom it has designated terrorists.

In a post on X, senior Kurdish politician Elham Ahmad said the ceasefire "has not translated into any real commitment on the ground".

But Syria's state media accused the SDF on Sunday of launching "suicide drone attacks" near Kobane.

Kobane is hemmed in by the Turkish border to the north and government forces on all sides. It is around 200 kilometers from the Kurds' stronghold in Syria's far northeast.

Kurdish forces have accused the Syrian army of imposing a siege on the town.

A UN convoy delivered aid to Kobane on Sunday, after the Syrian military said it had opened a humanitarian corridor.

Kobane, which Kurdish forces liberated from a lengthy siege by the Islamic State group in 2015, took on symbolic value as their first major victory against the jihadists.

In an interview with Kurdish media on Sunday, SDF chief Mazloum Abdi said Kobane's battle against IS had "a profound impact" on the creation of the Kurds' de facto autonomous administration.

"We asked Damascus not to enter Kobane. They agreed, and we hope they will abide by this agreement," he said.