“We are very concerned about the continued violence we are seeing in that part of Syria which really makes [the] lives of civilians who have undergone so many years of violence and difficult humanitarian conditions that much more complicated,” Dujarric told Sinan Tuncdemir during a press briefing.
Clashes erupted between the SDF and a number of Arab tribes in Deir ez-Zor late last month after the Kurdish-led force arrested one of the key members of these tribes, who was also a commander of the SDF, over several charges, including drug trafficking and coordinating with external entities. SDF was able to retake all areas it had lost to these groups.
The SDF said in a statement on Monday that two pro-Damascus groups infiltrated into Dhiban town in Deir ez-Zor from the regime-held areas on the west bank of the Euphrates River after their “indiscriminate artillery shelling” against the SDF positions.
On Tuesday, the SDF announced the expulsion of all the groups from Dhiban.
The clashes have reportedly caused tens of casualties from both sides.
The SDF is the main ally of the US-led global coalition on the ground against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria.
The Arab-majority Deir ez-Zor province was where 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.
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 rejected this.
