Syria
Fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Baghouz, Syria on March 23, 2019. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday announced the expulsion of armed groups affiliated to the Syrian regime from Deir ez-Zor, a day after the groups infiltrated into the SDF-held areas from the west bank of the Euphrates River.
The SDF said in a statement on Monday that two pro-Damascus groups infiltrated into Dhiban town in Deir ez-Zor from the regime-held areas on the west bank of the Euphrates River after their “indiscriminate artillery shelling” against the SDF positions.
“Regime militants were expelled from the town of al-Dhiban hours after they infiltrated from the city of al-Mayadeen on the west bank of the Euphrates River,” Farhad Shami, head of SDF media center said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The infiltration of Deir ez-Zor by pro-regime groups on Monday comes less than a month after the eruption of clashes between the tribes and the Kurdish-led forces following the arrest of one of the key members of these tribes, who was also a commander of the SDF, over several charges, including drug trafficking and coordinating with external entities. The SDF was able to retake all the areas it had lost to the groups.
The SDF on Monday said it had taken “immediate security measures” to establish “stability and security” in the area.
While the SDF did not report any casualties from the Monday clashes, UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that three SDF fighters, 18 local forces, and a civilian woman were killed and 42 were injured including four civilians.
The Arab-majority Deir ez-Zor province was where ISIS militants made their last stand and were territorially defeated. Control of the province, which borders Iraq, is now split between the SDF and the Syrian regime, with its Iranian backer. It is also home to many of the country’s key oilfields, such as Omar and Conoco, which the US-led global coalition against ISIS helps the SDF protect.
There is a history of tense relations between the Kurdish-led SDF and some Arab tribes in the province. Some anti-SDF groups have claimed that the Kurdish-led force is targeting Arabs, but the SDF rejected this.
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