[2][3] The Syrian military swiftly responded; deploying troops backed by tanks and helicopters, and launching an extensive crackdown.

Another move the government made which has fueled tensions was resettling Arabs from other parts of the country into along the border in Iran, Iraq and Turkey.

The visit from United States Vice President, Joe Biden, to the fourth largest city in Iraq, Erbil, also known as the Iraqi Kurdistan capital, helped strengthen their alliance with them.

Government security forces brought in to quell the riot, fired into the crowd, killing six people, including three children—all of them were Kurds.

[12] The Ba'ath Party local office was burned down by the demonstrators, leading to the security forces responding and killing more than 15 of the rioters and wounding more than 100.

[13] Officials in Qamishli alleged that some Kurdish parties were collaborating with "foreign forces" to supposedly annex some villages in the area to northern Iraq.

[4] After the violence, President Bashar al-Assad visited the region aiming to achieve a "national unity" and supposedly pardoned 312 Kurds who were prosecuted of participating in the massacre.

[7] Member State of the Arab League After the 2004 events in Qamishli, thousands of Kurds fled to the Kurdish Region of Iraq.

[19][20] In March 2008, according to Human Rights Watch,[21] Syrian security forces opened fire at Kurds who were celebrating the spring festival of Nowruz.

On 21 March 2008, the Kurdish New Year (Newroz) a school class held a 5 minute vigil in memory of the 2004 Qamishli riots.

[26][27] In the second half of 2012, the rebellion also resulted in clashes between Kurdish soldiers and the militants of the Free Syrian Army, both striving towards control of the region.