Syria Newroz killings

The Syria Newroz Killings refer to two separate incidents in which Syrian state security forces and police opened fire on Kurdish civilians who had gathered to celebrate Newroz, the Kurdish New Year festival, in northern Syria.

The first incident occurred on 20 March 2008 in Qamishli, a city in al-Hasakah Governorate in northern Syria. According to Human Rights Watch, Syrian security forces opened fire on Kurds who were celebrating Newroz. The shooting killed three people and injured at least five others. Qamishli was noted for hosting large public celebrations, including an annual Christmas parade in December and a large Newroz gathering each March, making the crowd size and public nature of the festival notable context for the incident.

The second incident took place in March 2010 in Raqqa city, where Syrian police attacked a crowd of Kurdish residents who had gathered to mark the Newroz festival. This attack resulted in the deaths of two or three people, one of whom was a 15-year-old girl, and left more than 50 people wounded.

Both incidents are documented together under the heading "Syria Newroz Killings" as attacks on Kurdish civilians during Newroz celebrations in Raqqa and Qamishli.