Kobane violence follows killing of Kurdish ex-fighter

Syrian state media said violence erupted Friday in the northern Kurdish-majority town of Kobane as residents protested over the killing of former Kurdish fighter Sami Shekhmous Hiso.

Syrian state television said “outlaws” attacked police cars and carried out an attack on the Internal Security Directorate building.

Hiso, also known as Sepan, was reportedly kidnapped before his body was returned with bullet wounds on Thursday in northeastern Hasakeh province. Kurds gathered in several parts of northern and northeastern Syria to protest his killing.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said security forces imposed a curfew on Kobane.

Hasakeh province governor Noureddine Ahmed Eissa condemned what he called a heinous crime that claimed Hiso's life and said it violated human, moral and legal values.

Sipan Hamo, regional assistant defence minister and a former senior Kurdish military official, mourned Hiso early Friday and said several people had already been arrested over the case. He also called on people to show restraint and avoid what he described as attempts to incite discord.

In January, the Syrian government and the Kurds reached an integration agreement after clashes between Syrian Kurdish fighters and the new authorities' forces. Last month, Syrian Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi said the integration of Kurdish civilian and military institutions into the Syrian state was complete, and later announced the dissolution of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Kobane has symbolic value for Kurds because Kurdish fighters pushed back and defeated Islamic State group jihadists there in 2015.