Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ethan Goldrich and Major General Joel B. Vowell, commander of the US-led coalition, met with the SDF and tribal leaders from Deir ez-Zor where they “agreed on the importance of addressing the grievances of residents” and “the dangers of outsiders interfering” in the province, the US Embassy in Syria said on X, formerly known as Twitter
They also stressed “the need to avoid civilian deaths and casualties, and the need for de-escalation of violence as soon as possible,” the statement added.
Clashes have been taking place for a week in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province between Kurdish forces and pro-regime militias after a curfew was imposed in the province with fighting having left at least 50 dead.
Tensions escalated last week after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrested Ahmed Khbeil, better known as Abu Khawla, commander of the SDF-linked Deir ez-Zor Military Council, and four of his colleagues on a list of charges including drug trafficking and coordinating with “external entities.” Both sides have suffered casualties over the week.
The Arab-majority province was where Islamic State (ISIS) militants made their last stand and were territorially defeated. Control of the province, which borders Iraq, is now split between the SDF and the Syrian regime, with its Iranian backer. It is also home to many of the country’s key oilfields, such as Omar and Conoco, which the US-led global coalition against ISIS helps the SDF protect.
Clashes in the province have so far killed at least 54 people, including six children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor.
The US-led coalition on Saturday urged an end to the violence, saying that destabilization of the region will only bring violence while reiterating its commitment to the SDF.
“It is imperative that all local leaders resist the influence of malign actors who promise many rewards but will deliver only suffering to the peoples of the area,” the Coalition said in a statement.
“This poses dire consequences and only allows for a situation that nobody welcomes – the resurgence of our common enemy - Daesh,” it added, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS.
On Friday, the SDF announced a 48-hour curfew in parts of the province under its control, accusing pro-Damascus fighters of trying to “cause strife in the region and attempting to lure civilians into their dirty plans.”
Before declaring the curfew, the SDF said that pro-Damascus groups attacked several sites in Deir ez-Zor and simultaneously Turkish proxies attacked a village near Manbij in the north of the country.
On Sunday, SOHR reported that SDF fighters reinforced their control over two towns in Deir ez-Zor where there had been clashes with pro-Iran militias.
There is a history of tense relations between the Kurdish-led SDF and some Arab tribes in the province. Some anti-SDF groups have claimed that the Kurdish-led force is targeting Arabs, but the SDF has denied this.
The Deir ez-Zor Military Council is responsible for the security in the SDF-held areas of the province and has played a key role in military operations against ISIS in Syria. Abu Khawla has reportedly been replaced by his deputy, Abu Laith Khisham.
