U.S. Proxies Clash With Each Other In Syria’s Northeastern Region (Vid…
On July 25, clashes broke out between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and its main Arab faction in the northeastern Syria governorate of Deir Ezzor right under the eyes of the United States-led coalition.
The clashes began in the town of al-Suwar in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside, when a military police patrol of the SDF killed two fighters of the Deir Ezzor Military Council (DMC) after they refused to show identification.
The slain fighters were members of one of Deir Ezzor’s prominent Arab tribes and were enlisted in the DMC’s so-called Elite Forces.
In response to the incident, DMC fighters and tribesmen attacked several checkpoints and positions of the SDF near al-Suwar and in other parts of the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside, demanding the group hand over the killers of their two comrades.
The clashes expanded to the town of al-Busayrah in the northern Deir Ezzor countryside. The SDF sent several units from its Anti-Terror Forces, also known as HAT, from the governorate of al-Hasakah. However, DMC fighters prevented the reinforcements from entering Deir Ezzor.
In an attempt to de-escalate, the SDF said in a statement that its General Command had opened an investigation into the al-Suwar incident and ordered the arrest of everyone who was involved.
“Our forces will not tolerate any action that threatens the security and stability of the region, and we call for the national interest to prevail over any other considerations,” the statement reads.
Clashes slowed down late on July 25 as the U.S.-led coalition intervened to end the conflict between the SDF and the DMC. The U.S. maintains two large bases in Deir Ezzor, one is located at the Conoco gas factory and the other in al-Omar oil fields.
An agreement was reportedly brokered by the coalition the next day, July 26. Under the agreement, the DCM agreed to a ceasefire and the SDF promised to hold the police officers responsible for the al-Suwar incident accountable. Neither side has confirmed the agreement, as of yet.
The clashes in Deir Ezzor came following several reports of disagreements between the SDF and the DMC over the unfair treatment of the governorate Arab population by the Kurdish-led group. The SDF increased Kurdish forces in its part of Deir Ezzor and tightened its grip over the local administration in the governorate in recent weeks.
While these measures were seen by some observers in Syria as preparations for a possible war with the Syrian military and its allies, who still control much of Deir Ezzor, the recent clashes indicate that the real aim was to curb the influence of the DMC.
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