YPG/PKK detain Arab candidates for Assad regime polls

ANKARA, Turkey

The YPG/PKK terror group has detained Arabs in northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli who announced their candidacy for the Assad regime's general elections in September, sources in Syria told Anadolu Agency.

Qamishli remains under occupation of the terror group.

According to the sources, the Assad regime had formed an election bureau in Qamishli in coordination with the YPG/PKK terror group. A total of 17 independent Arab candidates, known for their closeness to the regime, then applied to the bureau for candidacy; however, the YPG/PKK raided their homes and detained them despite the fact that their candidacy had been approved.

The Assad regime recently announced it would hold general elections for the first time since the start of the civil war. For this reason, the regime and YPG/PKK terror group expedited their talks that had been continuing for a while.

In their previous meeting last week, the YPG/PKK and the Assad regime were unable to agree on the terror group's demands for autonomy.

In July, the YPG/PKK terrorist group agreed to hand responsibility for several of Syria’s most lucrative oilfields over to the regime, wrapping up several weeks of negotiations. Later, ties between the regime and the organization began to strengthen.

According to map calculations made by Anadolu Agency, the Assad regime controls about 59 percent of Syria, while the YPG/PKK terror group controls 27.7 percent of the country.

Reporting by Mohamad Misto:Writing by Merve Aydogan