Deir Ezzor – Obadah al-Sheikh
Markets in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside, particularly the area stretching from the town of Granij to al-Baghouz, are witnessing a rise in prices, with some shops devoid of vegetables and fruits due to the curfew decision.
The eastern countryside has become accustomed to curfews during periods of tension or clashes, causing confusion among residents as they struggle to meet their needs and manage their transportation for work and other necessities.
Motorcycles, which are the traditional means of transport in the Deir Ezzor countryside, are also not allowed.
Enab Baladi‘s correspondent in Deir Ezzor reported that checkpoints of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) blocked vehicles from entering the countryside under the pretext of the curfew imposed on the area due to the existing security tensions.
According to Enab Baladi‘s price monitoring, the price of a kilogram of tomatoes reached 18,000 Syrian pounds, up from 6,000 Syrian pounds, and the price of a kilogram of potatoes rose to 10,000 Syrian pounds from 4,000 Syrian pounds.
The price of a kilogram of sugar reached 13,500 pounds, a liter of cooking oil to 25,000 pounds, and a kilogram of rice to 13,500 pounds, with differences between towns, despite the drop in the exchange rate of the Syrian pound to 11,000 pounds for each US dollar.
Extension of the curfew to the countryside
The SDF imposed a curfew in the areas under its control in eastern Deir Ezzor following the defection of leaders from the Deir Ezzor Military Council, who joined the Military Operations Administration that seized control of the city of Deir Ezzor and the entire right bank of the Euphrates River known as “al-Shamiyah”.
Local news accounts circulated videos showing armored vehicles belonging to the SDF announcing a curfew in the eastern countryside via loudspeakers.
According to residents, the curfew is in effect from 6 PM to 6 AM throughout the Deir Ezzor countryside, and a complete curfew has been imposed in the area extending from Granij to al-Baghouz, with exceptions for bakeries and pharmacies.
On December 12th, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), the political umbrella for the SDF, announced the imposition of a curfew across all areas under its control in northeastern Syria for security reasons.
It stated that the curfew would be enforced in all districts, starting at 5 PM until 8 AM, beginning on the 13th of the same month until further notice.
The eastern Deir Ezzor countryside witnessed a state of security tension following the defection of the leader of the Deir Ezzor Military Council, “Abu al-Harith Granij,” who joined the Military Operations Administration.
The Military Operations Administration consists of several Syrian opposition factions, most notably Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and launched a military operation on November 27, gaining control of several major cities and reaching Damascus while toppling Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which fled to Moscow.
The Deir Ezzor countryside has seen a wide security deployment of SDF forces, with a curfew enforced and increased patrols following demonstrations that called for stabilizing security conditions and ending SDF control, aiming to incorporate it into the zones controlled by the Military Operations Administration.