What is happening in Deir-ez-Zor
At a time when the world's attention was focused on the Israel-Iran conflict, unexpected events began to happen in Syria . In the Deir ez-Zor region, local Arab tribes united with government forces are carrying out attacks against the Kurdish coalition of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls the northeast of the country. Three people were killed and 15 were injured in the clash that took place a day ago.
The battles took place in Deir-ez-Zor and the eastern part of the Euphrates, in the area of the villages of Ziyban, Al-Latwa and Abu Hamam. A state of emergency has been declared in many settlements in the region, residents have been ordered not to leave their homes.
The Syrian military cleared the US-backed SDF forces from the Al-Umar oil refinery near the largest oil field in Deir ez-Zor province. Syrian army forces are currently entering the oil field.
Deir ez-Zor is the only oil and gas-producing region in Syria that has been controlled by Kurdish groups for nearly 10 years and is home to more than 20 US military bases. Interestingly, US troops are also stationed at the Al-Omar gas processing plant, and in 2018, during the attack on the Al-Omar gas field, the "Wagner" fighters were killed by the US army.
But now the situation has changed. Bashar Assad's government is turning the local Arab tribes to its side, and with their help, the Kurds are being driven out of the region, which is equivalent to the withdrawal of the Americans. This is a good opportunity for Syria, because before the war, the government met its oil and gas needs through this region.
Secondly, Deir-ez-Zor and the entire eastern bank of the Euphrates are also the territory connecting the Iraqi-Syrian highway. For years, the US and Israeli air forces have periodically bombed the area in an attempt to prevent the deployment of armed forces affiliated with Iran. According to experts, this is due to the fact that Iranian weapons are transported through Iraq to Syria, and from there to Lebanon and Palestine.
Iran and Syria appear to be trying to gain a foothold in a key transport corridor along the border. At the same time, in recent days, the Iranian proxy forces in Syria have been gradually retreating to the southwestern part of the country, to the Golan Heights. Iran may be planning to launch its long-awaited strike from the Golan region.
It should also be noted that one of the main topics of the peace talks between Syria and Turkey mediated by Moscow in recent months was the SDK and the military operation conducted by both countries against them. It seems that the last operation was carried out in coordination with Turkey. So, you can safely say that the tension in the Middle East is increasing in all directions.
The share of Syrian Kurds in Deir-ez-Zor is 19.9 percent , and Arabs are 76.6 percent.
