US Department of State Emphasizes the Need to Ensure Safe and Voluntary Return of IDPs; Mike Waltz Pledges to Follow Up on the Issue with Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN
The United States of America has condemned the attacks targeting Kurdish families returning to the city of Giri Sapi (Tell Abiad) and its countryside, calling on the Syrian government to hold the perpetrators of violence accountable and to ensure the security of all Syrians. Meanwhile, its representative to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, pledged to follow up on the issue with the Syrian representative.
A spokesperson for the US Department of State told Rudaw Media Network on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, that Washington is aware of reports stating that returning Kurdish families to Giri Sapi (Tell Abiad) were subjected to attacks, stressing that the United States condemns violence against civilians in the city and across Syria.
The spokesperson emphasized the necessity of enabling Syrians displaced by the conflict to return to their homes safely and voluntarily, away from violence and intimidation. The spokesperson added that the Syrian government must hold all perpetrators of violence accountable and guarantee the security of Syrians, including families returning to their homes.
In the context of Washington’s stance on Syria’s future, the spokesperson stressed that the United States supports “a unified and sovereign Syria, in which Kurds and all other components enjoy equal citizenship rights, security, and genuine participation in governance.”
He also urged the Syrian government and local authorities to fulfill their obligations, respond to legitimate concerns, and take practical steps to rebuild trust among all components.
Waltz Pledges to Follow Up on the Issue with the Syrian Representative
In a related development, the United States Representative to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, pledged to follow up on the attacks to which the residents of Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) are being subjected upon their return home. This came in response to a question posed by Rudaw Media Network correspondent Namo Abdulla on Tuesday (October 27, 2026) at the UN headquarters in New York.
The Rudaw reporter asked about the US representative’s stance regarding the attacks targeting displaced Kurds upon returning to their homes, pointing to videos circulating online showing their cars being set on fire, and noting that hundreds of them were subjected to attacks, while requesting a clarification of Washington’s message to the Syrian authorities to ensure their safe return.
Waltz responded, saying: “I haven’t seen those videos, and I can’t comment on something I haven’t seen, but I will certainly speak with their representative here.”
Attacks and Burning of Vehicles Belonging to Returning Families
Dozens of families had returned on Monday, October 26, 2026, to the city of Giri Sapi (Tell Abiad), located in the Raqqa countryside in northern Syria, responding to a call by the city’s administration to submit official documents proving their ownership of lands and homes. However, upon arrival, the families were attacked by a number of residents, and their cars were set on fire.
Political and human rights condemnations followed the attacks that targeted the displaced Kurdish families returning to the city and its countryside, amid reports that civilians, including women and children, faced death threats, the burning of their cars, and the destruction of their property, alongside insulting and racist slurs targeting Kurds and their national identity.
In this context, the Rights Monitor Syria platform condemned the attacks, pointing out that incoming information and recorded video clips document civilians being threatened with death, as well as property destruction and car fires, coinciding with insulting and racist statements directed against the Kurds.
The platform expressed deep concern over what the families endured, explaining that a number of displaced persons went to the Tell Abiad District Administration building to submit official documents and proof confirming their ownership of homes and lands in preparation to reclaim them and return, before being attacked.
It added that information indicates that more than one hundred Kurdish families were besieged inside the District Directorate building, before the Internal Security Forces in the Ain al-Arab / Kobani area evacuated them on the evening of the same day.
For their part, political entities—including the Syrian Democratic Council, the Kurdish National Council, the Democratic Union Party, and the Consultative Meeting Parties—called for an investigation into the attacks targeting civilians, including women and children, and the burning of vehicles belonging to families returning to Tell Abiad / Giri Sapi, emphasizing the necessity of ensuring a safe return and protecting property.
The statements of condemnation demanded the opening of an investigation into the attacks and holding those involved accountable, while stressing the guarantee of the displaced persons’ right to a safe return to their homes and lands.
