BEIRUT: The weeklong clashes between rival US-backed militias in eastern Syria, where hundreds of American troops are deployed, point to dangerous seams in the coalition that has kept a lid on the defeated Daesh group for years. That could be an opportunity for the radical group to reemerge.
The violence also points to rising tensions between Kurds who dominate the region and the mainly Arab population, opening the door for Syrian President Bashar Assad and his allies, Russia and Iran, to try to make inroads in an oil-rich territory where they seek to drive out US troops and restore Damascus’ rule.
Eastern Syria has largely been off the world’s radar, particularly in the United States. But the US has had some 900 troops stationed there alongside an unknown number of contractors ever since the defeat of the Daesh group in 2019. The troops, who first arrived eight years ago, work alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces, an umbrella group of militias dominated by Kurdish fighters.
At the same time, a US-supported Kurdish-led administration has governed parts of northern Syria and most of Syria east of the Euphrates River, including key oil fields, with government forces and Iranian-backed militias positioned just across the river on the western bank. The region’s Arabs have roles in both the SDF and the administration but have long resented the Kurdish control.
The clashes involve the Syrian Democratic Forces and an allied faction, the Arab-led Deir Ezzor Military Council. The trigger was the Aug. 27 arrest by the SDF of the council’s commander Ahmad Khbeil, better known as Abu Khawla. The SDF accused Khbeil of criminal activity, corruption and of opening up contacts with the Damascus government and Iranian-backed militias.
Fighting broke out between the SDF and Khbeil’s loyalists, who were then joined by hundreds of Arab tribesmen in battles that spread and left tribesmen in control of several villages outside the city of Deir Ezzor. At least 90 people have been killed and dozens wounded.
Kurdish leaders accuse Iranian-backed militias and the Syrian government of fomenting the violence. Speaking to The Associated Press, SDF spokesman Farhad Shami denied local Arab fighters joined the clashes, saying it was fighters loyal to Damascus who crossed the river.
“Iran and Assad regime want to depict this unrest as a result of an ethnic conflict between Arabs and Kurds,” Elham Ahmad, the leader of the Syrian Democratic Council, the political wing of the SDF, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Their ultimate aim, she said, was to force US troops to leave.
But some warn the violence reflects local Arab resentment of Kurdish domination. Opposition activists said contacts were underway with tribal leaders to reach a cease-fire.
“This is an unprecedented escalation between SDF and Deir Ezzor residents,” says Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet, which covers news in the region.
“This is an indication of the bad policy implemented by the SDF and wrong calculations by the Americans,” said Abu Layla. He said the solution could be to name a replacement for Khbeil and give Arabs more influence in local councils.
If the fighting endures, it could deepen Kurdish-Arab rifts. That could open the door for Daesh remnants to attempt a comeback.
The US military has called for an end to the fighting, warning that “distractions (from opposing Daesh) create instability and increase the risk of Daesh resurgence.”
Over the weekend, a meeting was held among SDF figures, tribal leaders and US officials, including Maj. Gen. Joel Vowell, the commander of Operation Inherent Resolve, which oversees US military operations against Daesh, the US Embassy announced. It said they agreed on the “importance of addressing the grievances of residents” in Deir Ezzor, avoiding civilian deaths and the need for de-escalation as soon as possible.
The SDF pushed ahead in their offensive over the weekend, capturing two villages and surrounding the main Arab tribesmen’s stronghold in Diban. SDF chief commander Mazloum Abdi told a local news agency that the US-led coalition helped with aerial support during the offensive, but the US military did not confirm or deny when contacted by The Associated Press.
Daesh once controlled large parts of Iraq and Syria but was defeated after a long, grueling war led by the US and allies including the SDF. The radical group lost its last sliver of land in eastern Syria in 2019, but its fugitive cells hiding in the region have continued low-level attacks, killing dozens over the years.
Myles B. Caggins III, senior fellow at the New Lines Institute, said the clashes “present an opportunity for Daesh cells that nest in the Euphrates River Valley to emerge.”
The violence also could give an opportunity for Damascus and Iran, pushing their demands for the Americans to leave.
The commander of the pro-government Baqir Brigade militia, Khaled Al-Hassan, told an Iranian media outlet that the violence “is a new uprising by Syrians against the American occupation and its militias,” referring to the SDF.
During a recent visit to Iran, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad warned that “American occupation forces should withdraw ... before they are forced to do so.”
In mid-July, dozens of Arab tribesmen and members of the pro-government National Defense Forces held a rally in Deir Ezzor province that was attended by a Russian general.
“The end of American forces will be at the hands of Arab tribesmen who stand behind the Syrian army,” an NDF commander said during the ceremony.
In March, a suspected Iranian-linked drone attack hit a US base, killing a contractor and wounding another, along with five American troops. American warplanes responded with airstrikes on sites used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. President Joe Biden said the US would respond “forcefully” to protect its personnel.
“Iran, Russia, and the Syrian regime have a shared interest in the departure of US forces from Syria,” according to a report released last month by The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank.
Crucial for Tehran, Iran has had a land corridor of allies linking it to the Mediterranean Sea ever since Syrian forces and Iranian-backed militias captured areas along the border with Iraq from Daesh in 2017.
Last week’s clashes came after Lebanese and Arab media outlets reflecting Iran’s point of view claimed that the Americans intended to sever that link by capturing the strategic border town of Boukamal.
The coalition’s commanding general, US Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane denied the reports. “The coalition is not preparing for military operations to cut off anybody except Daesh,” he said.
But Iran and its allies say any attempt to close the Iraq-Syria border is a red line.
“I see that closing the gate between Damascus and Baghdad as a declaration of war,” said Syrian political analyst Bassam Abu Abdullah, whose comments usually reflect the government’s point of view.
Fighting between rival US-backed groups in Syria could undermine war against Daesh
https://arab.news/6zqp3
Fighting between rival US-backed groups in Syria could undermine war against Daesh
- The clashes involve the Syrian Democratic Forces and an allied faction, the Arab-led Deir Ezzor Military Council
- Kurdish leaders accuse Iranian-backed militias and the Syrian government of fomenting the violence
Turkiye backing Syria’s military and has no immediate withdrawal plans, defense minister says
- Guler says Israel de-confliction talks continue
- Turkish troops stay for now in Syria, he tells Reuters
ANKARA: Turkiye is training and advising Syria’s armed forces and helping improve its defenses, and has no immediate plans for the withdrawal or relocation of its troops stationed there, Defense Minister Yasar Guler told Reuters.
Turkiye has emerged as a key foreign ally of Syria’s new government since rebels — some of them backed for years by Ankara — ousted former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December to end his family’s five-decade rule.
It has promised to help rebuild neighboring Syria and facilitate the return of millions of Syrian civil war refugees, and played a key role last month getting US and European sanctions on Syria lifted.
The newfound Turkish influence in Damascus has raised Israeli concerns and risked a standoff or worse in Syria between the regional powers.
In written answers to questions from Reuters, Guler said Turkiye and Israel — which carried out its latest airstrikes on southern Syria late on Tuesday — are continuing de-confliction talks to avoid military accidents in the country.
Turkiye’s overall priority in Syria is preserving its territorial integrity and unity, and ridding it of terrorism, he said, adding Ankara was supporting Damascus in these efforts.
“We have started providing military training and consultancy services, while taking steps to increase Syria’s defense capacity,” Guler said, without elaborating on those steps.
Named to the post by President Tayyip Erdogan two years ago, Guler said it was too early to discuss possible withdrawal or relocation of the more than 20,000 Turkish troops in Syria.
Ankara controlled swathes of northern Syria and established dozens of bases there after several cross-border operations in recent years against Kurdish militants it deems terrorists.
This can “only be re-evaluated when Syria achieves peace and stability, when the threat of terrorism in the region is fully removed, when our border security is fully ensured, and when the honorable return of people who had to flee is done,” he said.
NATO member Turkiye has accused Israel of undermining Syrian peace and rebuilding with its military operations there in recent months and, since late 2023, has also fiercely criticized Israel’s assault on Gaza.
But the two regional powers have been quietly working to establish a de-confliction mechanism in Syria.
Guler described the talks as “technical level meetings to establish a de-confliction mechanism to prevent unwanted events” or direct conflict, as well as “a communication and coordination structure.”
“Our efforts to form this line and make it fully operational continue. Yet it should not be forgotten that the de-confliction mechanism is not a normalization,” he told Reuters.
Turkiye arrests five mayors from CHP opposition party
- The latest round of arrests brings to nine the total number of jailed CHP mayors
ISTANBUL: Turkish police arrested five opposition mayors early Wednesday alongside 17 others as part of a probe into corruption allegations at CHP-held municipalities, a party spokesman told AFP.
The latest arrests targeted a former lawmaker and three CHP mayors in Istanbul, and two more in the southern province of Adana, the spokesman said.
The latest round of arrests brings to nine the total number of jailed CHP mayors, including Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu — the main political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The latest investigation began at the weekend when a court issued arrest orders for 47 municipal officials in connection with four separate corruption investigations centered on Istanbul, local media reported.
The March 19 arrest and jailing of Imamoglu sparked the biggest street protests Turkiye had seen in more than a decade.
Police had already detained nearly 70 people in subsequent raids linked to alleged corruption at Istanbul City Hall, including Imamoglu’s private secretary and his private protection officer.
The CHP has nominated Imamoglu as its candidate in presidential elections due in 2028 but whether he can run in the elections depends on the fate of numerous trials and probes.
Gaza aid sites shut, as Israel issues ‘combat zones’ warning
- Announcement follows a string of deadly incidents near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution sites
- On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in southern Gaza when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF aid site
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: A US and Israeli-backed group operating aid sites in the Gaza Strip announced the temporary closure of the facilities on Wednesday, with the Israeli army warning that roads leading to distribution centers were “considered combat zones.”
The announcement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) follows a string of deadly incidents near the distribution sites it operates that have sparked condemnation from the United Nations.
Israeli bombardment on Wednesday killed at least 16 people in the Gaza Strip, including 12 in a single strike on a tent housing displaced people, the Palestinian territory’s civil defense agency said.
On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in southern Gaza when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF aid site, with the military saying the incident was under investigation.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the deaths of people seeking food aid as “unacceptable,” and the world body’s rights chief condemned attacks on civilians as “a war crime” following a similar incident near the same site on Sunday.
Israel recently eased its blockade of Gaza, but the UN says the territory’s entire population remains at risk of famine.
The GHF said its “distribution centers will be closed for renovation, reorganization and efficiency improvement work” on Wednesday and would resume operations on Thursday.
The Israeli army, which confirmed the temporary closure, warned against traveling “on roads leading to the distribution centers, which are considered combat zones.”
The GHF, officially a private effort with opaque funding, began operations a week ago but the UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with it over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
Israeli authorities and the GHF, which uses contracted US security, have denied allegations that the Israeli army shot at civilians rushing to pick up aid packages.
Food shortages in Gaza have propelled fresh international calls for an end to the war, but a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas remains elusive.
The UN Security Council will vote Wednesday on a resolution calling for a ceasefire and humanitarian access to Gaza, a measure expected to be vetoed by key Israel backer the United States.
At a hospital in southern Gaza, the family of Reem Al-Akhras, who was killed in Tuesday’s shooting near GHF’s facility, were beside themselves with grief.
“She went to bring us some food, and this is what happened to her,” her son Zain Zidan said, his face streaked with tears.
Akhras’s husband, Mohamed Zidan, said “every day unarmed people” were being killed.
“This is not humanitarian aid – it’s a trap.”
The Israeli military maintains that its forces do not prevent Gazans from collecting aid.
Army spokesperson Effie Defrin said the Israeli soldiers had fired toward suspects who “were approaching in a way that endangered” the troops, adding that the “incident is being investigated.”
UN human rights chief Volker Turk called attacks against civilians “unconscionable” and said they “constitute a grave breach of international law and a war crime.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross meanwhile said “Gazans face an “unprecedented scale and frequency of recent mass casualty incidents.”
Scenes of hunger in Gaza have also sparked fresh solidarity with Palestinians, and a boat organized by an international activist coalition was sailing toward Gaza, aiming to deliver aid.
The boat from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition departed Sicily Sunday carrying a dozen people, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg, along with fruit juices, milk, tinned food and protein bars.
“Together, we can open a people’s sea corridor to Gaza,” the coalition said.
But Israel’s military said Tuesday it was ready to “protect” the country’s maritime space.
When asked about the Freedom Flotilla vessel, army spokesman Defrin said “for this case as well, we are prepared,” declining to go into detail.
Israel has stepped up its offensive in Gaza in what it says is a renewed push to defeat the Palestinian group Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 4,240 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war’s overall toll to 54,510, mostly civilians.
Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
The army said three of its soldiers had been killed in northern Gaza, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed in the territory since the start of the war to 424.
Ten Palestinians killed in Israeli attack on school in Gaza’s Khan Younis
- Residents say Israeli military escalated airstrikes and tank shelling on parts of Khan Younis
- Israeli military earlier dropped leaflets warning residents to leave their homes and head west
CAIRO: An Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced Palestinian families killed at least 10 people, including children, on Wednesday, local health authorities said.
Residents said Israeli military escalated airstrikes and tank shelling on parts of Khan Younis, a day after it dropped leaflets warning residents to leave their homes and head west, saying forces would fight Hamas and other militants in those areas.
Israel strikes Syria after projectiles fired, holds Sharaa responsible
- Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said bombardments had hit farmland in the province, without reporting casualties
CAIRO: Israel has carried out its first airstrikes in Syria in nearly a month, saying it hit weapons belonging to the government in retaliation for the firing of two projectiles toward Israel and holding interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa responsible.
Damascus said Israeli strikes caused “heavy human and material losses,” reiterating that Syria does not pose a threat to any regional party and stressing the need to end the presence of armed groups and establish state control in the south.
Israel had not struck Syria since early May — a month marked by US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Sharaa, the lifting of US sanctions, and direct Syrian-Israeli contacts to calm tensions, as reported by Reuters last week.
Describing its new rulers as jihadists, Israel has bombed Syria frequently this year. Israel has also moved troops into areas of the southwest, where it has said it won’t allow the new government’s security forces to deploy.
The projectiles Israel reported fired from Syria were the first since longtime Syrian ruler Bashar Assad was toppled. The Israeli military said the two projectiles fell in open areas.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he held the Syrian president “directly responsible for any threat and fire toward the State of Israel.”
A Syrian foreign ministry statement said the accuracy of the reports of shelling toward Israel had not yet been verified.
“We believe that there are many parties that may seek to destabilize the region to achieve their own interests,” the Syrian foreign ministry added, as reported by the state news agency.
A Syrian official told Reuters such parties included “remnants of Assad-era militias linked to Iran, which have long been active in the Quneitra area” and have “a vested interest in provoking Israeli retaliation as a means of escalating tensions and undermining current stabilization efforts.”
Several Arab and Palestinian media outlets circulated a claim of responsibility from a little-known group named “Martyr Muhammad Deif Brigades,” an apparent reference to Hamas’ military leader who was killed in an Israeli strike in 2024.
Reuters could not independently verify the statement.
The Syrian state news agency and security sources reported Israeli strikes targeting sites in the Damascus countryside and Quneitra and Daraa provinces.
Local residents contacted by Reuters said Israeli shelling targeted agricultural areas in the Wadi Yarmouk region. They described increased tensions in recent weeks, including reported Israeli incursions into villages, where residents have reportedly been barred from sowing their crops.
An Israeli strike also hit a former Syrian army base near the city of Izraa, a Syrian source said.
Israel has said its goals in Syria include protecting the Druze, a religious minority with followers in both countries.
Israel, which has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1967 Middle East war, bombed Syria frequently during the last decade of Assad’s rule, targeting the sway of his Iranian allies.
The newly-appointed US envoy to Syria said last week he believed peace between Syria and Israel was achievable.
Around the same time that Israel reported the projectiles from Syria, the Israeli military said it intercepted a missile from Yemen.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said they targeted Israel’s Jaffa with a ballistic missile. The group says it has been launching attacks against Israel in support of Palestinians during the Israeli war in Gaza.
