ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were injured by shelling from unknown attackers in Syria’s eastern province of Deir ez-Zor on Tuesday, according to a UK-based conflict monitor. An unidentified local armed group fired two artillery rounds on SDF positions in northern areas of Deir ez-Zor, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), detailing that two SDF members were injured. “The injured members were taken to the hospital for treatment,” added SOHR that relies on a network of sources within Syria. The SDF has not commented on the incident and no group has claimed responsibility. The Islamic State (ISIS) and pro-Iran militia groups often carry out attacks in the province on the SDF, the partnered local force of the US-led international anti-ISIS coalition. Control of Deir ez-Zor province, which borders Iraq, is split between the SDF and the Iran-backed Syrian regime. It is also home to many of the country’s key oilfields, such as Omar and Conoco, which the global coalition helps the SDF to control. There is a history of tense relations between the SDF and some Arab tribes in the province. Some anti-SDF groups have claimed that the Kurdish-led force is targeting Arabs, which the SDF has rejected.
