عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

US Forces Conduct Drills in Bases Attacked by Iran

US forces and SDF soldiers conduct training exercises in the countryside of Deir Ezzor. (AFP)
US forces and SDF soldiers conduct training exercises in the countryside of Deir Ezzor. (AFP)
TT
20
TT

US Forces Conduct Drills in Bases Attacked by Iran

US forces and SDF soldiers conduct training exercises in the countryside of Deir Ezzor. (AFP)
US forces and SDF soldiers conduct training exercises in the countryside of Deir Ezzor. (AFP)

The US-led international coalition forces conducted military maneuvers and training in the vicinity of Al-Omar oil field in northeastern Syria, after their base came under missile attacks in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

The US Army Central Command (Centcom) announced that four US soldiers were slightly wounded in the missile attack targeting, at dawn on Thursday, a base used by the anti-ISIS coalition in the Deir Ezzor region.

The rockets struck two support buildings at the Green Village base in Deir Ezzor province run by allied Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, where the US and coalition partners maintain a mission against the remnants of ISIS.

“At this time, four US service members are being evaluated for minor injuries and possible traumatic brain injuries,” the Central Command said in a statement.

Meanwhile, armored vehicles and dozens of US soldiers and coalition forces participated in the maneuvers, with the presence of SDF fighters. Heavy weapons and missiles were used during the drills, and training strikes were carried out on fake targets with mortars and anti-tank launchers.

In a related development, the international coalition forces reinforced their military bases in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. Two shipments of weapons arrived at the Al-Omar oil field and the Conoco gas plant, which included logistical and military equipment.

Last month, the coalition forces received five shipments of weapons and military vehicles in their bases in the north-east of the country. The reinforcements coincided with mounted tension between the US army and the IRGC-backed militias.

Separately, unidentified gunmen targeted an SDF checkpoint in the town of Dhiban, east of Deir Ezzor, which resulted in violent clashes between the two sides. Eyewitnesses and local websites said that the gunmen raised Syrian government flags on electric poles.

For its part, Turkey continued its attacks on positions controlled by the SDF in northeastern Syria in the countryside of Aleppo.

A new wave of clashes erupted among pro-Turkey armed factions in the two areas known as Peace Spring in northeastern Syria, and Olive Branch in Afrin, located in the Aleppo Governorate.

Fighting with machine guns took place between the Turkish-backed King Shah and Hamza divisions in the village of Tal Halaf in the Ras al-Ain countryside, as a result of disputes over migrant smuggling to Turkey. No information was received about human losses.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Uncertain Future for the PFLP-GC in Post-Assad Syria

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Damascus on April 18 (AP) 
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Damascus on April 18 (AP) 
TT
20
TT

Uncertain Future for the PFLP-GC in Post-Assad Syria

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Damascus on April 18 (AP) 
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Damascus on April 18 (AP) 

The brief detention of Talal Naji, Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC), by Syrian authorities has renewed scrutiny over the status of Palestinian factions still operating in Syria, particularly those that aligned with the former Assad regime.

Naji’s arrest and swift release come amid a major political realignment following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024. Once one of the most active and heavily armed Palestinian groups in Syria, the PFLP-GC now faces an uncertain future, along with other factions that were long tolerated—or even supported—under Assad’s rule.

A well-informed Palestinian source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the new Syrian administration has appointed a figure known as Abu Abdul Rahman al-Shami to oversee the file of Palestinian factions. Since assuming the role, al-Shami has convened multiple meetings with faction representatives, including regular attendees from the PFLP-GC, to discuss the fate of their fighters, weapons, property, and military infrastructure.

According to the source, al-Shami has made it clear that the new government intends to hold accountable any individuals or groups implicated in crimes against Syrian civilians during the civil war. Palestinian factions have been instructed to surrender all weapons and military equipment, and to limit their activities to humanitarian and relief work. The PFLP-GC, the source said, has largely complied.

Despite the fall of the Assad regime, Naji and much of the PFLP-GC’s second- and third-tier leadership have remained in Syria. Its offices in Damascus reportedly continue to operate, though under heightened scrutiny. Other faction leaders, however, have fled. Among them are Khaled Abdul Majid (Popular Struggle Front), Ziyad al-Saghir (Fatah–Intifada), Mohammad al-Saeed (Liwa al-Quds), and Saed Abdel Al (Free Palestine Movement). Most are believed to have sought refuge in Lebanon.

Sources confirmed that several PFLP-GC fighters have been detained in recent weeks in connection with alleged war crimes committed during their cooperation with Assad’s forces. The Syrian government has also moved to seize faction offices and military installations across the country, including properties belonging to Fatah–Intifada, the Free Palestine Movement, and the Sa’iqa Forces. Sa’iqa’s leader, Mohammad Qais, remains in Syria.

In a further blow, authorities have reportedly frozen bank accounts belonging to some Palestinian factions, both in state and private banks, although it remains unclear whether the PFLP-GC is among them.

Additionally, it is widely believed that the PFLP-GC has handed over its military training camps, which were previously spread across Damascus countryside, Daraa, Aleppo, and Suwayda. “The situation is extremely sensitive, and everyone is anxious,” one Palestinian source told Asharq Al-Awsat. “It’s likely they’ve surrendered those sites.”

The sense of unease deepened last month when Syrian authorities detained two senior Islamic Jihad officials in Damascus: Khaled Khaled, head of the group’s Syria bureau, and Abu Ali Yasser, its chief organizational officer. Both remain in custody, and no official charges have been announced.

The current atmosphere of fear and uncertainty has driven faction leaders to avoid public comment. Most now insist on anonymity when speaking to local or international media.

Before the outbreak of the Syrian uprising in March 2011, Syria hosted more than a dozen Palestinian factions. As the conflict escalated, the Assad regime encouraged the formation of new pro-regime groups, composed largely of Palestinian refugees, to fight alongside its forces.