The pro-government Difa al-Watani (National Defense Forces, NDF) militias in Syria started attacking the Internal Security Forces of Rojava at a time when the Turkish army forces launched military operations in the North and East Syria. Clashes took place between the militias and internal security forces after the latter responded to the attacks based on the right to self-defense on April 20. After five days of armed clashes, calm has returned to the neighborhood in southern Qamihlo.

The residents of the Tai Neighborhood are content that the Internal Security Forces established security points in the neighborhood where armed clashes have taken place between the pro-Damascus Difa al Watani (National Defense Forces, NDF) militia group and the Internal Security Forces.

After the Internal Security Forces gained control in the neighborhood, they started to establish security points. The residents of the neighborhood, who had to leave their homes due to the attacks of the NDF militias, started to return to their homes and readopt their normal lives.

The residents said they felt safe to have the Internal Security Forces in their neighborhood.

One of the residents, who only gave initials of his name, A.E. (40) stated that he has lived in of the Tai Neighborhood for 25 years. He said he felt safe and was happy that the Internal Security Forces controlled the neighborhood.

Another resident of the neighborhood named Yehya El Hisên emphasized that their property was constantly stolen when the militias were in the neighborhood. “The Difa al Watani militias were constantly trying to confiscate our property,” he added.

A young man named Zêd El Iwêş stated that he was happy too that the Internal Security Forces removed the militias out of the neighborhood. “When the militias controlled the neighborhood, we did not feel safe at home. We could not even find natural gas here while there was no shortage in the Autonomous Administration regions,” he noted.