As thousands of civilians flee the Assad regime's advance on eastern Aleppo [7], rebel groups are charging that the Kurdish-led People's Protection Units (YPG [8]) are collaborating in the offensive. The YPG and rebels aligned with the Free Syrian Army have clashed several times in Aleppo, mostly around the Kurdish-controlled Sheikh Maqsoud [9] enclave. In recent days, as the pro-regime forces press their advance on the east, Kurdish fighters have taken over several areas abandoned by the rebels. Photos and video showing the regime flag and the yellow YPG banner raised on top of a building were circulated on social media [10], suggesting that the Kurdish forces and Syrian national army were in fact fighting together. The YPG, however, said the images were faked, and denied any cooperation with the Syrian army.
There have been persistent accusations [11] that the YPG has collaborated with regime forces. Both Syria's main opposition National Coalition [12] and the Assad regime oppose [13] Kurdish demands for a federal state and full autonomy [14] for Kurdish areas. (Middle East Eye [15], Nov. 30)
