Syria: Commander in Deir Ezzor Says Iran-Backed Sleeper Cells Seek Instability

The entrance to the Syrian town of Baghouz
The entrance to the Syrian town of Baghouz
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Syria: Commander in Deir Ezzor Says Iran-Backed Sleeper Cells Seek Instability

The entrance to the Syrian town of Baghouz
The entrance to the Syrian town of Baghouz

Terrorist sleeper cells, which are backed by Iranian militias and receive instructions from Syrian regime forces in Deir Ezzor province, seek to destabilize the area, a security official said.

Bashar al-Saab, a commander in the Internal Security Forces of Deir Ezzor Civil Council, said “the cells affiliated with Iranian militias receive orders from the regime and carry out terrorist acts, including assassinations, bombings, and threats against prominent figures, tribal sheikhs and employees in the civil council.”

He stated that his forces have foiled attempts to carry out similar crimes, and arrested several suspects.

His forces are searching for further suspects amid ongoing investigations into the plots, he noted, adding that most of the employees and security personnel working in the Civil Council are from Deir Ezzor.

Press leaks have recently revealed that Iranian commanders met with a number of tribal sheikhs in Aleppo last week in an attempt to form a tribal army to fight the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and expel them from Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside.

Saab’s statements come in light of the deteriorating security situation in eastern Syria.

On Wednesday, the headquarters of the Civil Council in Baghouz town, in Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside, was attacked by unidentified gunmen, who threw a grenade, wounding the building’s guard and causing severe material damage.

The attack was the second of its kind after unidentified gunmen on motorcycles launched an armed attack on the Civil Council in Busayrah earlier this week, forcing employees to close it.

A booby-trapped motorcycle also exploded on Sunday near Dar al-Shifa hospital in Hajin city in Deir Ezzor countryside, injuring the president of the People’s Assembly.

Unidentified gunmen have also killed three prominent Arab tribal leaders in Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside, the most recent of which was the assassination of Sheikh Mutashar Jadaan al-Hafil and his driver.

In early August, unknown gunmen launched an attack on an SDF-affiliated self-defense military post in Jadid Akidat.

Following these incidents, dozens of Deir Ezzor residents took to the streets to protest the deteriorating security situation and demand the release of dozens of detainees held by the SDF.



Kurdish Leaderships Reveal Details of Plan to Merge with Syrian Army

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi. (Reuters)
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi. (Reuters)
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Kurdish Leaderships Reveal Details of Plan to Merge with Syrian Army

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi. (Reuters)
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi. (Reuters)

Sources close to the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said the group’s decision to merge its military and security bodies with those of the Kurdish Autonomous Administration is a serious step toward talks with Damascus.

The move, announced late Monday, aims to integrate the SDF into the Syrian army.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi invited Syrian interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa to visit SDF-held areas in northeastern Syria, congratulating him on leading the country’s transition.

The SDF had published the minutes of a three-way meeting that included Abdi along with leaders from the group’s political wing, the Syrian Democratic Council, and the executive administration of the Autonomous Administration.

The meeting resulted in an agreement to merge the SDF’s military and security institutions with the security bodies of the Autonomous Administration under the Syrian army’s structure.

It also approved the reactivation of state-run civil and service institutions in northeastern Syria and the withdrawal of non-Syrian foreign fighters from SDF ranks and areas under its control as part of efforts to bolster national sovereignty and stability.

Abu Omar Al-Idlibi, a senior commander in the SDF, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meeting concluded with an understanding that the SDF would be integrated into Syria’s Ministry of Defense as a single unit, potentially within a corps or as part of the ministry’s eastern command.

However, he noted that discussions were still in their early stages and that oil and gas fields in northeastern Syria were not on the agenda at this stage, but could be addressed in future talks.

Al-Idlibi described the move as an effort to unify forces and strengthen national unity, while reviving state-run civil and service institutions in the northeast to improve public services and living conditions.

The meeting emphasized the need to boost coordination with Damascus, increase dialogue on national issues, and reaffirm Syria’s territorial integrity.

Al-Idlibi said the latest decisions would support the integration of local forces into the Syrian army, bolster its defense capabilities, and facilitate the return of displaced people to their hometowns, particularly those from areas affected by Turkish military operations.