The US Embassy in Syria said on Sunday that senior officials had met Syrian Democratic Forces and community leaders in eastern Syria, discussing the need for de-escalation after a week of violence.
Fighting erupted in the Deir Ezzor province after the US-backed, Kurdish-dominated SDF detained the head of the local Deir Ezzor Military Council.
The violence has killed 49 fighters and eight civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich and Major General Joel Vowell, commander of the US-led coalition fighting the ISIS group in Syria and Iraq, met with the SDF, Kurdish authorities and tribal leaders from Deir Ezzor in northeast Syria, said the American embassy.
"They agreed on the importance of addressing the grievances" of Deir Ezzor residents, "the dangers of outsiders interfering" and "the need to avoid civilian deaths and casualties", said an embassy statement on X, formerly Twitter.
The participants also agreed on "the need for de-escalation of violence as soon as possible."
Goldrich and Vowell reiterated the importance of "the strong US partnership with the SDF in the D-ISIS effort."
The largely Arab-majority Deir Ezzor province is controlled by the SDF to the east of the Euphrates, while forces loyal to the Damascus regime and Iran-affiliated fighters are stationed on the west bank.
The US-led coalition maintains bases there, as well as in Syria’s Al-Omar gas field.
The SDF accused fighters who were benefiting from the detained leader and armed mercenaries who have links with the regime of attempting to cause strife between the SDF and Arab tribes.
Kurdish authorities and the SDF manage areas under their control through local civilian and military councils to avoid causing Arab-Kurdish tension.
On Sunday, the SDF and the Observatory said the situation in Deir Ezzor appeared to be calming down.
The situation "is being handled with great sensitivity, but we hope the issues will be settled soon, whether militarily or in communication with the Arab tribes in the region," SDF spokesman Farhad Shami said.
