SDF Regains Control Over Major Towns in Deir Ezzor’s Eastern Countryside

Turkish-backed fighters are positioned on the Mahsali and Arab Hasan frontline on the outskirts of Manbij in northeastern Syria as they fight with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on September 4, 2023. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
Turkish-backed fighters are positioned on the Mahsali and Arab Hasan frontline on the outskirts of Manbij in northeastern Syria as they fight with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on September 4, 2023. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
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SDF Regains Control Over Major Towns in Deir Ezzor’s Eastern Countryside

Turkish-backed fighters are positioned on the Mahsali and Arab Hasan frontline on the outskirts of Manbij in northeastern Syria as they fight with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on September 4, 2023. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
Turkish-backed fighters are positioned on the Mahsali and Arab Hasan frontline on the outskirts of Manbij in northeastern Syria as they fight with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on September 4, 2023. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP)

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) regained control over al-Busayra and the largest part of the al-Shuhayel district and imposed a security cordon on Dhiban and al-Hawaij towns.

The towns, on the bed of the Euphrates River in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor in the east of Syria, are among the largest cities that have witnessed heavy clashes between Arab tribes' militants and fighters who withdrew from the Deir Ezzor Military Council against the SDF forces.

A US-led international coalition against ISIS terrorists supports the SDF.

A senior SDF military official said they held a "positive" meeting with US officials and the commander of the international coalition forces in the presence of Arab tribal sheikhs and elders.

The meeting addressed the situation in the Deir Ezzor countryside and foreign interventions, provided that military operations continue to comb the area and pursue armed groups.

The SDF pushed more reinforcements to the areas that witnessed armed clashes in eastern Syria.

SDF media official Farhad Shami said that the residents of these areas appealed to the Forces to rid them of the armed groups who have wreaked havoc over the past few days in the region.

Shami told Asharq Al-Awsat that the SDF has begun to shift the battles in their favor, calling on the residents to abide by the curfew, and asserting they will hold those responsible for bloodshed accountable for their crimes.

Shami confirmed that the forces are combing the areas surrounding Dhiban, noting that tensions were limited to five towns and 25 villages out of dozens of cities and more than 100 villages in the region.

The areas that witnessed violent armed clashes are among the wealthiest oil areas in Syria, and 900 US soldiers and dozens of foreign forces are deployed as part of their combat missions in fighting ISIS terrorists.

Several areas of the Deir Ezzor’s countryside witnessed violent armed clashes that broke out after the SDF forces removed the leader of the Military Council, Ahmed al-Khabil, last month.

He was arrested on charges of corruption and drug trafficking, which sparked tension between the region's tribesmen that later turned into armed clashes, killing over 50 civilians and soldiers.

Earlier, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Syria, Ethan Goldrich, and Major General Joel Vowell, who heads the coalition against ISIS, met Arab tribal leaders and SDF commanders and agreed to "address local grievances" and "de-escalate violence as soon as possible and avoid casualties."



Iranian Militias Barred from Entering 'Seven Villages' Area in Syria's Deir Ezzor

Russian officers with the people of Deir Ezzor for the distribution of aid (X)
Russian officers with the people of Deir Ezzor for the distribution of aid (X)
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Iranian Militias Barred from Entering 'Seven Villages' Area in Syria's Deir Ezzor

Russian officers with the people of Deir Ezzor for the distribution of aid (X)
Russian officers with the people of Deir Ezzor for the distribution of aid (X)

Russian forces in Syria are working to prevent the situation from escalating, which could draw Syria into the ongoing conflict in Palestine and Lebanon. According to Russian National Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, who recently toured the region, “the situation in the Middle East remains highly complex and tense, and it is essential to continue reintegrating Syria into the regional environment.”
As part of these efforts, Russian forces have set up a military checkpoint on the bridge connecting the so-called “seven villages” with areas west of the Euphrates, allowing the access of Syrian government and Russian forces, while barring Iranian militias and other armed groups from entering.
In 2022, Iran built this bridge to link areas it controls west of the Euphrates with the seven villages its allied militias control east of the river. The bridge, connecting Al-Husayniyah (east of the Euphrates) and Al-Huwayqa (west of the Euphrates), facilitates the transfer of weapons and military supplies across both sides of the river for these militias.
According to sources from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), this Russian measure follows repeated clashes between the US-led International Coalition and Iranian-backed militias affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the area.
The seven villages in the Deir Ezzor countryside—Al-Salihiyah, Hatlah, Khasham, Marat, Tabiyah, Mazlum, and Al-Husayniyah—are under Syrian government control and include local elements connected to Iranian militias. The bridge serves as a strategic link between the city and these villages. Russia’s move aims to assert military control over these villages by restricting entry and exit solely to Russian and government forces, in an effort to de-escalate military tensions in the area.
On Wednesday, two members of local Iranian-aligned militias died from injuries sustained a few days earlier in a US strike near Deir Ezzor Military Airport on Oct. 31, which also injured several others.
In recent days, US forces have conducted daily heavy artillery shelling in the seven villages and areas west of the Euphrates, citing the presence of Iran-backed fighters who are targeting nearby US bases.
Russia had previously requested that the IRGC withdraw Iran-affiliated militias from locations near Deir Ezzor Military Airport and other sites in the city. This request was made during a meeting on Oct. 18 between a Russian military representative in Syria and an IRGC representative in Deir Ezzor, held at a government security facility, according to local media sources.
Russian media indicate that Shoigu’s recent actions have focused on preventing the situation from escalating into a major confrontation, which could significantly harm Russian interests in the region.
Deir Ezzor province and its surroundings have been experiencing increased security instability, which has worsened as Iran and its militias shift their focus toward the conflict in Lebanon and the Israeli attacks on Hezbollah and Iranian forces.