In a statement on Monday, President Masoud Barzani warned against incidents in Syria after the events in Aleppo.

“In reaction to the events of the past few days in the city of Aleppo, unfortunately on some media platforms, social media, and other outlets, we are witnessing campaigns against Arab Syrian citizens who live in the Kurdistan Region,” President Barzani said in a statement. 

“Such campaigns and behaviors are inappropriate and in no way compatible with the principles and values of the people of Kurdistan, and they run counter to the policies and general outlook of the institutions of the Kurdistan Region,” he added.

“In reality, the responsibility for crimes committed by certain individuals should not be placed on other people who have no connection whatsoever to those crimes. The dignity and respect of the Arab Syrian refugees and citizens who have sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region and live here must be upheld. These unjust campaigns must come to an end, and the relevant authorities must prevent the recurrence of such behavior.”

His statement came after a campaign by some business owners in the Kurdistan Region to fire Syrians in reaction to the displacements and human rights violations against Kurds in Aleppo during clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish forces.

On Tuesday, heavy clashes broke out between Kurdish forces and Syrian government forces in Aleppo, lasting until January 11, when the fighting ended following international mediation and the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters and civilians from the Kurdish neighborhoods.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the recent conflict in Aleppo has killed 105 people, including 45 civilians – eight of them women and five children – and 59 combatants on both sides. These figures could not be independently verified, and several media outlets have reported different statistics.