Updated: Syrian Authorities Fire at Kurds Celebrating Norouz, Killing 2 and Injuring over 40

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Reports coming out of Syria indicate that intelligence security forces have opened fire on Kurds celebrating Norouz yesterday in the town of Ar-Raqqah in Northern Syria.

According to Kurdish reports, 15 minutes into the celebration members of the Baath party arrived at the location where Kurds have gathered to celebrate the holiday with flags and posters of the Syrian president. The Baath members provoked the Kurds, and for no reason security forced fired tear gas at the crowd and opened fire. The shooting resulted in the death of two young men, injuring 41 people. Several of the wounded were arrested. The name of one of the young men killed is Mohammed Omar Haider; he died from his injuries at the hospital. The names of the other killed are unknown.

The human rights organizations Supports Kurds in Syria (SKS), Human Rights Organization in Syria (MAF), Kurdish organization for the defence of human rights and public freedoms in Syria (DAD), and the Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria al-Rased have called on Syria to immediately investigate the shooting. The Alliance for Kurdish Rights joins this call.

Update: Post was corrected to reflect new information which indicates that the number of people killed in the attack is two.