Syrian Kurdish Militia Takes Over Oil Fields
Syrian Kurdish groups have seized control of several key oil fields, provoking concerns among the Syrian opposition and Turkey about the coming division of Syria, writes Wladimir van Wilgenburg.
In the beginning of March, a Kurdish militia took over oil fields and installations in northeastern Syria, declaring their willingness to share the resources with the Syrian opposition if the Kurds would get their own share.
With the ongoing civil war between Syrian government forces and Arab rebels, a Syrian Kurdish party called the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its militia, the Kurdish People’s Defence Units (YPG), are increasingly using the power vacuum to create a form of Kurdish autonomy similar to that which Iraqi Kurds enjoy.
The PYD has set up local councils, security forces and Kurdish-language schools, creating a parallel government in the north of Syria.
The YPG took control over Tall ʿAdas on Jan. 21, after fighting with the Syrian Army. In March, the YPG took control of Ramalan and the oil fields south of the city of al-Qahtaniya without firing a shot after surrounding regime forces there for a days.
