Syria: SDF 'massacres' 21 people near Kobane

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have acknowledged that one of their fighters was involved in the massacre of 21 people in the area of Ain al-Arab (Kobane), in eastern rural Aleppo, following the circulation of a video showing an SDF gunman boasting about the killing.

The admission came after footage spread on social media in recent days showing a man identified as an SDF fighter filming himself alongside bodies and claiming responsibility for killing civilians near Ain al-Arab, triggering widespread anger.

In a statement issued on Friday evening, the SDF media centre described the killings as an "individual incident" and claimed that those killed were "armed men" affiliated with the Syrian army who died during fighting as they advanced toward Ain al-Arab.

"The leadership is closely following what has recently circulated regarding one of our fighters filming himself alongside armed individuals who were killed while repelling an attack carried out by factions affiliated with Damascus on the village of Kharous, south of Kobani," the statement said.

The media centre added that the individual shown in the footage "was immediately dismissed from the ranks of the forces and referred to the military court to take the necessary legal measures".

However, activists from the area disputed the SDF’s account, saying all those killed were civilians. They said the victims’ clothing showed no indication that they were fighters, and that most had been detainees previously held by the SDF.

According to the activists, the victims had been released from SDF prisons on Wednesday before being killed on the road linking Ain al-Arab with the city of Aleppo. The killings reportedly took place between the villages of Kharous and Zalkhak, around 30 kilometres south of Ain al-Arab.

Local activists said some residents were able to identify the victims, who were from the vicinity of Ain al-Arab and belonged to the Arab community. They called for both a local and an international investigation into the incident.

The incident comes amid an uneasy ceasefire between the Syrian government and the SDF after weeks of clashes in northern and eastern Syria, including around Raqqa, Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor, which saw government forces retake territory previously held by the SDF earlier this month.

A four-day ceasefire agreed on 20 January has since been extended as both sides explore security arrangements and the SDF considers proposals for integration into Syrian state structures. Tensions remain high, and mutual accusations of violations have continued.

In recent months, the SDF has faced growing scrutiny over its security practices, detention policies, and handling of civilians in areas under its control, particularly in regions with mixed Kurdish and Arab populations.

Rights groups and local activists have repeatedly accused various armed actors in Syria, including government forces, opposition factions and the SDF, of extrajudicial killings and abuses during military operations, allegations that all sides have at times denied.

The SDF statement did not address activists’ claims that the victims had been detainees recently released from custody, nor did it provide further details on the circumstances of the killings or whether additional fighters may have been involved.

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government on the incident, according to Syria TV.