Syrian army offensive overjoys some, leaves others with ‘existential’ fear
Al Jazeera
Many Syrians feel liberated by the army pushing out the Kurdish-led SDF. But others fear government troops.
When the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced they would withdraw from the northeastern Syrian cities of Raqqa and Deir Az Zor on January 18, images immediately began to spread of spontaneous celebrations from populations in the two Arab-majority cities.
But the latest convulsion in Syria is a tale of two communities.
“The reaction of the people of the region to the entry of the Syrian state and its control over the region is indescribable,” Adnan Khadeir, an Arab resident of Deir Az Zor, told Al Jazeera. “There was overwhelming joy at the liberation.”
Khadeir said many people in the region feared the SDF’s repression.
“I was unable to criticise the [SDF] and the biggest fear among the people of the region was forced conscription,” he said. “The situation is much better than before.”
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