An element was killed, and eight others were injured from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in an attack by tribal forces in northeastern Syria.
Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Deir Ezzor reported that tribal forces attacked, on Wednesday, January 31, positions for the SDF in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor with mortar shells and machine guns.
He explained that the attack targeted a headquarters near al-Raghib School, in the town of Diban in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.
An official from the SDF (who preferred not to be named) told Enab Baladi that the death of the element occurred as a result of a mortar shell falling on one of the military points in the area.
Fighters also launched another attack that led to the damage of a pickup vehicle carrying a 23 mm caliber anti-aircraft weapon, in al-Hayes neighborhood, in the town of Granij, east of Deir Ezzor, according to the Sharqya Reporter network in the region.
The Arab tribal fighters’ attacks in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor followed the appearance of the general commander of the Arab tribal forces, Ibrahim al-Hafel, the Sheikh of the Akidat tribe, with leaders of groups and brigades in photos circulated by local networks specialized in transferring news of the region.
The clashes between the SDF and tribal forces did not stop, as the Sharqya Reporter network reported that SDF elements clashed with members of the National Defense, who were stationed on the outskirts of al-Qouriya city.
A leader from the Deir Ezzor Military Council affiliated with the SDF spoke to Enab Baladi on condition of anonymity, that the SDF withdrew the operations and commandos forces from Deir Ezzor.
He added that it had kept the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) and some of the Self-Defense regiments, following the start of the military campaign against the cells of the Islamic State group.
On January 17, fighters from the tribes of Deir Ezzor launched a surprise attack targeting one of the SDF points west of Deir Ezzor governorate, originating from areas controlled by the Syrian regime near the region.
Deir Ezzor governorate has been experiencing security tensions for months after confrontations broke out between fighters from the same region and the SDF on the background of the arrest of the former leader of the Deir Ezzor Military Council, Ahmad al-Khabil, in August 2023.
With its security campaign called “Reinforcing Security”, the SDF managed to regain control of areas it had lost in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor and put an end to the Arab tribal uprising in Deir Ezzor. A portion of them withdrew towards areas controlled by the regime, and another preferred to engage in a “security settlement” with the SDF.