HASAKEH: A first group of Syrian Kurds headed back to their northeastern hometown of Ras al-Ain on Monday after years of displacement, with Kurdish officials later accusing “armed groups” of attacking some returnees upon their arrival.

A January agreement with the government on merging Kurdish forces and civil institutions into the state had included provisions for the return of displaced Kurds, but residents of Ras al-Ain had still been waiting.

Tens of thousands of Kurds were displaced when Turkiye and allied Syrian fighters seized an Arab-majority strip of territory along the Turkish border, including Ras al-Ain, from Kurdish control in 2019 during Syria’s civil war.

Jawan Isso, from a committee representing displaced people from Ras al-Ain, said that a “first batch” of around 2,500 people were headed home on Monday.

Syrian govt says over 100,000 people have applied to return home

“This step is the result of efforts by all sides and ongoing coordination” between the Damascus and Kurdish authorities, he said, adding that “the second batch will be transferred in the coming days”. But later on Monday, Isso said that Kurds returning to Ras al-Ain were attacked by “armed groups” with several wounded, calling it a “deliberate and premeditated” incident.

The incident sparked a demonstration in nearby Kurdish-majority Qamishli, where a correspondent saw angry protesters try to break into the security forces’ headquarters, with Syrian officers pushing them back.

“We condemn the assault to which the displaced Kurdish families were subjected during their return,” Mazloum Abdi, leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces who signed the January deal with Damascus, said on X.

“We understand the angry reactions in the Kurdish street in response to this assault, and at the same time, we call on our people to exercise self-restraint, refrain from being drawn into any irresponsible acts, and preserve our civil and security institutions,” he added.

Abdi said he was working with the relevant authorities “to ensure the protection of the returning displaced civilians”.

‘Waiting for this moment’

Earlier in the day, a correspondent saw dozens of trucks loaded with furniture and other belongings waiting to set off from near the city of Hasakeh, with men, women and children eager to depart.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment... It’s like a dream for a person to return to their home,” said returnee Nora Khodor, 37. Isso said that around 100,000 people from the Ras al-Ain area had applied to return.

Human rights groups say residents’ homes and belongings there were seized or looted after the offensive. Some of the fighters subsequently settled in the area with their families, with some reportedly still living in the formerly ethnically-mixed region, known as Sari Kani in Kurdish.

Turkiye launched successive cross-border offensives against Kurdish-led forces in the country’s north before Syria’s new authorities ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Since then, the authorities have been extending central government control across the country, including formerly Kurdish-held areas.

“We are very happy about returning,” said Rawda Mohammed, 39, before the violence erupted.

“I asked about my home. They told me it is totally destroyed, but we did not get pessimistic because we’re happy to return, and when we get there we’ll see what we can do.” Some 5.5 million people remain inte­rnally displaced in Syria following the more than 13-year civil war, acc­ording to the United Nations.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2026