Destruction of Western Kurdistan by absolutely EVERYONE

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KDP Western Kurdistan new president

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The top officials of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria on Thursday elected Mohammad Ismael as the Kurdish party’s new secretary following its 12th congress in Erbil

Twenty-six members of the party’s central committee were elected as well on Thursday, an informed source told Kurdistan 24.

The election came as the party on Saturday held its 12th congress in Erbil for the second time. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani attended the congress as well.

Having been the oldest Kurdish party in Western Kurdistan, known as Rojava Kurdistani in Kurdish, the KDP-Syria’s political goal is a decentralized and democratic Syria, in which its components are entitled to self-determination.

The party has been the biggest component of the Kurdish National Council, a grouping of sixteen parties in Western Kurdistan as of 2012, calling for a democratic and federal Syria. The party's headquarters is based in Qamishli.

Born in 1958 in Derik, Ismael, a graduate of chemistry from the University of Damascus, joined the party’s ranks in 1975. He became a member of the KDP-Syria politburo in 2002. He has been known as the “engineer” of unifying the Kurdish parties in Syria.

Following the party’s 2014 congress, he served in numerous positions, including managing the political group’s foreign relations.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/31 ... y-congress

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Lack of political freedom

The leader of northeast Syria’s main opposition party said on Friday that they do not have any contact with the Kurdish administration in the enclave as tensions mount over power sharing and lack of political freedom

“We have good relations with all Kurdish parties in Syria, especially those that make up the Kurdish National Council. We do not have any issues with any Kurdish-Syrian parties, except for the PYD which has imposed a de facto rule and administration on our people. They use weapons against our people,” Mohammed Ismail, the newly-elected secretary of the Kurdistan Democratic Party - Syria (PDK-S), told Rudaw on Friday.

The Democratic Union Party (PYD) is the ruling party in the Kurdish-governed region known as Rojava. It is also the political wing of the armed People’s Protection Units (YPG).

“We do not have any contact with the Autonomous Administration, which is run by the PYD,” said Ismail.

PDK-S is the oldest Kurdish-Syrian party, founded in 1957. It has strong ties with the Kurdistan Region’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and is the backbone of the Kurdish National Council (ENKS) which consists of several Kurdish-Syrian opposition parties. Ismail was elected leader of the PDK-S during a party congress in Erbil on Saturday

The ENKS and the PYD have been at odds for several years, with the ENKS accusing the PYD of being unwilling to share power and detaining their members. The ENKS boycotted 2017 local elections and holds no seats in the current Rojava administration. They have held several meetings in recent years about power sharing.

Senior PYD official Aldar Xelil said in 2020 that they cannot offer administration positions to the ENKS because they have not been elected to the various governing bodies and rejected the idea of ENKS-affiliated Peshmerga forces deploying to Rojava.

The first ENKS-PYD talks took place in Duhok in 2014. Initiated by Masoud Barzani, then president of the Kurdistan Region and leader of the KDP, the talks ended in a deal that included establishing a joint governing council and forming a joint military force, but it was never implemented.

In 2019, they sat down for a new round of talks weeks after Turkey invaded a number of Kurdish towns in northern Syria. Despite having United States support, the talks stalled within months with each accusing the other of walking away from the table.

ENKS has accused the ruling party of cracking down on their members, burning and closing their offices, and restricting their political freedom. The PYD claims that the ENKS, which is a member of the Turkey-backed Syrian opposition coalition, serves Ankara’s agenda.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/17062023

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US stops Kurds negotiating with Syria

The US is not interested in peace talks in Syria, and as such is prohibiting its Kurdish allies from solving their problems with the Syrian government through dialogue

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said the US has been preventing its Kurdish allies from negotiating with the Syrian government ahead of the 20th Astana meeting.

"Of course, the Americans support a number of Kurdish organizations that organize such a mini-quasi-state with their administration there. This is absolutely unacceptable. Of course, we are for solving the problems of the Kurds through dialogue. But, unfortunately, I think that the Americans are not interested in this, and their Kurdish allies are not allowed to have a dialogue with Damascus," Bogdanov told reporters.

Astana talks on Syria are due to be held in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, on June 20-21.

Several delegations are expected to attend the talks -- including deputy foreign ministers from guarantor countries, namely Russia, Turkey, and Iran, members of the Syrian government and Syrian opposition, and observers - representatives of the UN, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq.

The last time a session was held was on November 22-23, 2022.

On April 4, during a quadripartite meeting in Moscow that involved assistant foreign ministers of Syria, Russia, Iran, and Turkey, Syria laid out three conditions for normalizing ties with Turkey.

These include:

Ending the illegal Turkish presence on Syrian territory
non-interference in the Syrian internal affairs
Combating terrorism in all its forms

Should include:

Removing illegal US bases on Syrian territory

On June 14, Bogdanov said that “the normalization roadmap is ready,” adding that “our goal here is productive negotiation with our partners in this endeavor; we hope the new meeting in Astana will allow us to move forward with a satisfactory development.”

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... h-syria:-b

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US calls for de-escalation
Wladimir van Wilgenburg

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Matthew Miller, spokesperson at the US State Department, on Tuesday called on all parties to de-escalate in northern Syria

“We are concerned with the reports of increased violence in northern Syria over recent days and urge all parties to de-escalate to preserve stability,” the spokesperson said.

The statement comes amidst increased violence in northern Syria.

Moreover, Turkey has stepped up drone and artillery strikes in northern Aleppo, Manbij and the Hasakah provinces after a Turkish base was targeted in mid-June.

On Tuesday, the Syrian-Kurdish co-chair of the local canton administration in Qamishlo, Yusra Darwish, was killed in a Turkish drone strike east of Qamishlo. Darwish's deputy Kabi Shamoun, known by his nom de guerre Furat, was also killed in the attack. Another militant accompanying the senior officials was injured in the attack.

The increased violence also comes ahead of the 20th round of the Astana meetings between foreign ministers from Russia, Syria, Turkey and Iran in Kazakhstan on June 20-21.

For the first time, the meeting will also include the normalization of ties between Turkey and Syria, the Turkish pro-government news website Daily Sabah reported.

Moscow has attempted to reconcile Syria and Turkey with each other, but with limited results so far.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/31 ... hern-Syria

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Tribal fighting in Deir ez-Zor
Wladimir van Wilgenburg

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Two civilians were killed and a woman was injured due to infighting erupting between the Al-Bukhalaf and Al-Bu Ezzadin tribes on Thursday night in the Thubyan town of Deir ez-Zor province, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported

The clashes erupted in areas under control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The internal security forces (Asayish) reportedly intervened to solve the conflict between the two tribes, amid a state of fear and panic among civilians.

According to SOHR statistics, infightings between tribes in SDF-held areas in northeast Syria left 50 people dead this year.

The majority took place in Deir ez-Zor, with nearly 62 tribal infightings that left 30 people dead.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/31 ... eir-ez-Zor

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Barzani Charity Foundation

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Barzani Charity Organization (BCF) on Tuesday in a ceremony opened the Barzani Center for Culture and Development in Afrin

Numerous intellectuals and community figures from Afrin attended the inauguration ceremony.

Different activities for children and students will be held at this center, such as language learning, music lessons, and painting.

The BCF also presented a special needs program to seven Afrin councils on Monday. The program is designed to provide essential services for children and students with physical and emotional disabilities.

Rewac Haji, an Executive Committee member in Afrin, told Kurdistan 24 that their aid to Afrin would continue.

After the Turkey-Syria earthquake in February, BCF was the first agency to deliver humanitarian aid to Afrin and its surrounding areas on Feb. 10, 2023, and has been continuing to distribute aid since then.

In early 2018, Turkey and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) invaded Afrin as part of Operation Olive Branch, resulting in the displacement of thousands of Kurdish civilians.

Since then, several civilians have been killed by ongoing skirmishes among the various military factions in the country.

Link to Article - Photos
https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/31 ... n-in-Afrin

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US fortifies illegal bases

Washington is bolstering its military presence around oil and gas fields in Deir Ezzor and ordering its proxies to deploy massive forces

The United States is fortifying its occupation bases surrounding the Conoco and Al-Omar gas and oil fields respectively using large reinforcements of its paramilitary proxies as part of its ongoing theft-operations of Syrian resources in the north.

Al Mayadeen sources said the US deployed forces from Al-Sanadid, a US-backed militia formed by the Arab Shammar tribe, and "Army of Revolutionaries (Jaysh Al-Thuwar)" forces affiliated with the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in its occupation military bases near the energy fields in the countryside of Deir Ezzor.

"Washington informed the SDF and its affiliated militias to prepare for any attack on the region from the Western bank of the Euphrates River. The United States also tasked the Free Syrian Army to mobilize, to face any attack on the 55-kilometer area in Al-Tanf," the source said.

The latest measures by the US army signal fears of growing threats to their illegal presence in the Arab country as regional shifts in favor of Syria have strengthed Damascus' position to fulfill the mission of booting all forces that contributed to the global war against the nation and caused misery and agony among its citizens for over a decade

Al Mayadeen sources also said earlier this week that SDF mobilized its forces facing the Syrian army along the lines of contact on the banks of the Euphrates River.

The heightened readiness of US occupation forces comes as the Syrian Armed Forces, its allies, and local Resistance groups started in the past few months to carry out operations against the American military and its militants, in addition to gradually reclaiming land for the government's control.

What also raised the alarm in Washington was the unannounced military campaign launched by Damascus and supported by its Russian and Iranian allies to liberate areas in Idlib from Turkish-backed terrorist groups, on top of which is the HTS, hinting at a decision to bolster ground efforts to end the illegal presence of foreign forces and their local proxies.

Last week, sources revealed to Al Mayadeen that the Kurdish group transported 500 military armored vehicles from the city of Qamishli in the northern countryside of Al-Hasakah to the towns of Jadeed Akidat, Al-Basira, and Al-Omar oil field.

The sources added that US forces recently installed a new spy balloon in the Conoco gas field in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor, coinciding with the arrival of reinforcements of SDF militants.

Earlier this week, the US-led international coalition conducted a series of infantry drills, in cooperation with the so-called "Army of Free Syria" faction over an area of 55 km starting from the illegal Al-Tanf occupation base on the Syrian-Jordanian-Iraqi border triangle.

But so far, "the United States has not yet been able to form any nucleus of a tribal force into militias directly affiliated with it to protect its bases in northeastern Syria from attacks," the source said.

"The coalition is trying to put pressure on the popular resistance to prevent it from expanding its operations against the illegal presence of US bases in the south and northeast of the country."

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... rces-to-al

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Forgotten camps in Western Kurdistan

Thousands of people displaced by 12 years of war are stuck in squalid, unofficial camps in Syria's Kurdish-held northeast, languishing in extreme poverty and largely cut off from international assistance

"We've been completely forgotten," said Rahma al-Hammud, 33, standing at her tent -- a shoddy patchwork of worn-out fabric, tarp and old fertiliser bags crudely sewn together.

"Our children get sick over and over again. They get fever, diarrhoea and vomiting," said the widowed mother of four.

She lives in the Al-Yunani camp in the northern province of Raqa, where the Islamic State group had set up its de facto capital before its defeat in 2017 by US-backed Kurdish-led fighters.

Located near the Euphrates River, it is one of many informal camps inside Syria for people displaced by the conflict.

Women can be seen carrying heavy buckets of water from communal tanks in heat that can exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), while children in filthy clothes and bare feet play in the dirt.

Sheikhmous Ahmed, an official in the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration, said tens of thousands of people live in dozens of informal camps in north and northeast Syria.

Only 16 camps, housing around 150,000 people, are formally recognised and have access to international aid, including Al-Hol and Roj, which host suspected relatives of ISIS fighters, he said.

Lack of aid

While living and hygiene conditions can be dire even in official displacement camps, the situation in informal settlements is sometimes worse, with no semblance of organisation and little or no humanitarian assistance.

Tanya Evans of the International Rescue Committee said such informal camps "can be considered the 'forgotten camps' of Syria".

"Increased attention, funding, and sustained efforts by the international community are crucial" to ensuring such camps "receive the assistance they desperately need", she told AFP in a statement.

Hammud, who is displaced from elsewhere in Raqa province, said aid was "scarce" and that international organisations "do not recognise" the Al-Yunani camp.

"Even if they helped us every two or three months, people would have" better lives, said Hammud, a day labourer in the agriculture sector.

Three of her children also work in an industrial area nearby to help make ends meet.

Syria's war has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions since it broke out in 2011 with the regime's repression of peaceful protests.

It spiralled into a deadly conflict that pulled in foreign powers and global jihadists.

'Hell forever'

According to Sheikhmous Ahmed, Kurdish authorities are working "on a plan to transfer residents from informal to formal camps" in a bid to improve their living conditions.

If this were to come true it could improve the life of residents of Sahlat al-Banat, a makeshift camp which sits next to a landfill on the outskirts of Raqa city.

Residents spend their days scavenging the rubbish tip for anything of value, such as scrap metal and bits of plastic, which they hope to sell. It is their main source of income.

"The situation in the camp is tragic," said 30-year-old mother Shakura Mohammed, who was displaced from nearby Deir Ezzor province.

"People search through the rubbish for things they can sell in order to buy bread and earn a living," she said.

"No aid comes to the camp," she added.

According to a report by the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA, 79 percent of settlements in Raqa province are informal.

A UN cross-border mechanism allowing aid to enter northeast Syria from neighbouring Iraq was halted in early 2020 after pressure from regime ally Russia at the UN Security Council, worsening conditions for those in need.

Umm Rakan, who lives at Sahlat al-Banat, said she had given up on the idea that things would improve.

"We no longer count on anyone's help. We lost hope years ago," said the woman in her 40s, who was also displaced from Deir Ezzor.

"We are destined to live trapped in this hell forever."

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/32 ... d-languish

Sadly, many camps around Raqa have strong connections to ISIS and that connection prevents them receiving international aid

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PKK Abducts Minor in Raqqa

A human rights network reported on Monday that a group linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has reportedly abducted a minor in Raqqa, a city located in northern Syria, with the intention of conscripting him against his will

The Syria Monitoring Network for Human Rights issued a statement detailing that the group identified as the party's Jwanen Shorishger, also known as the Revolutionary Youth, abducted 16-year-old Yasser Jumaa Qarabati. The young boy, born in Hasakah, was taken from the city of Raqqa and transferred to child recruitment camps.

The network's statement further highlighted that, despite persistent efforts by Qarabati's family to locate him and approach various departments associated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), these entities declined to facilitate his return.

The network firmly asserted that the SDF continues to perpetrate "violations against civilians and children," involving the apprehension and abduction of minors who are then forcibly placed in recruitment camps and coerced into military engagements.

Calling upon the international community and organizations dedicated to safeguarding children's rights, the network urged concerted action to fulfill their responsibilities in protecting minors.

Additionally, the network implored these entities to apply pressure on the SDF to cease the practice of child abduction and refrain from enlisting them in military activities. The network strongly advocated for the prompt return of all kidnapped children to their families.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/819773

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US Aims to Expel Militias

The United States is reportedly orchestrating efforts to remove Iran-backed militias from the western parts of Syria, specifically along the Euphrates River bordering Iraq and Jordan, an informed source said on Tuesday

"The American authorities are discreetly advancing this initiative, with forces from both sides gathering along the Euphrates River's banks,” the source, closely associated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), told BasNews.

The source emphasized that the engagement of Hezbollah, a Shia paramilitary group backed by Iran, in combatting Iranian militias in the western Euphrates region would require significant pressure from the coalition forces.

Such an involvement of Hezbollah, the source cautioned, could impact the Aleppo front against the Turkish military and affiliated factions. This is due to the complex alliance structure involving the People's Defense Units, Iranian-backed militias, and the Syrian regime across regions like Shahba, Afrin, and the surrounding villages.

Highlighting the influence of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on Hezbollah's decisions, the Kurdish source noted, "The PKK maintains robust connections with Iranian intelligence and Iranian-supported militias in Iraq. Additionally, a shared front is established in Sinjar." This dynamic constrains Hezbollah's direct engagement in conflicts with Iranian-backed groups.

The source underlined Iran's deployment of substantial military forces near areas under coalition control east of the Euphrates, indicating readiness for potential armed confrontations.

Separately, another source in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) revealed on Sunday that Iran is adopting novel strategies to counter coalition forces in Syria.

"Iranian militias are operating under the banner of the 'People's Resistance,' falsely portraying opposition to coalition presence as a sentiment shared by Syrian locals rather than Iran's direct opposition," the source told BasNews.

Elaborating on this tactic, the source continued, "Under the guise of the People's Resistance, Iranian militias are executing attacks on coalition bases in western Syria, targeting locations such as Shaddadi, Koniko, and Omar."

The source further mentioned the alleged involvement of the Syrian regime and other entities in a coalition named the Shaabi Resistance, which claimed responsibility for missile strikes on three US bases in eastern Syria on Sunday.

Recent leaks, as reported by The Washington Post, suggest that Iran and Russia are arming Syrian regime-affiliated armed groups. The leaked information points toward intentions to target US forces and pressure them to depart Syria.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/820066

Who is going to expel the illegal US bases !?!

[Anthea]

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US loots tons of Syrian oil

Syrian oil gets looted, once again, by US occupation forces occupying parts of the country's north as 40 vehicles smuggle hundreds of tons across the border into Iraq

Once again, US occupation forces, occupying areas rich in oil in northern Syria, stole tons of Syrian oil from Al-Jazeera oil field and smuggles them into US occupation bases in Iraq.

According to local sources, over the past hours, the US occupation forces managed to transfer hundreds of tons of stolen Syrian oil to Iraq through a 40-vehicle convoy through the illegal Al-Mahmudiyah border crossing.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syria's official news agency, reported that "a convoy comprising 40 tankers loaded with stolen Syrian oil headed, via the illegitimate Al-Mahmudiya border crossing, towards the occupation bases in Iraq."

In August 2022, the Syrian Oil Ministry revealed that the US occupation forces loot the majority of Syria's oil, knowing that the daily production of the eastern oil fields is 80.3 thousand barrels.

The United States has been for years supporting the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militias, and the US-backed forces are currently occupying parts of the provinces of Al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor, and Raqqa, where the largest Syrian oil and gas fields are located.

The actions carried out by the United States constitute state piracy with the aim of plundering Syria's oil resources and depriving the Syrians of their own resources amid a harsh economic situation caused largely by the US occupiers.

US troops claim to be occupying the area in order to rid the region of terrorists, yet the US has strategically implanted itself there for the purposes of stealing Syria's natural resources as well as destabilizing President Bashar Al-Assad's government.

In December of 2022, Syria's Foreign Ministry said the US occupation forces and their affiliated military groups' systematic lootings of Syrian oil, wheat, and other national resources have amounted to direct losses valued at $25.9 billion and indirect losses valued at over $86 billion.

US-led coalition making 'suspicious' movements near Syria-Iraq border

The US-led coalition forces are carrying out suspicious helicopter flights over the base of Ain Al-Assad in Al-Anbar Governorate near the Iraqi-Syrian borders, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported on August 12.

The Deputy Head of Russia's Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Sides in Syria, Rear Admiral Oleg Gurinov, said drones of the so-called US-led international counterterrorism coalition in Syria violated flight safety rules 315 times during the month of June.

"There are continued gross violations of the deconflicting protocols and the bilateral Memorandum on Flight Safety in Syria by the US-led so-called international coalition. The violations are deliberate and systematic, and their number has increased significantly compared with last year. In June 2023, there were 315 cases of violations related to flights of drones and ‘coalition’ aviation," TASS quoted Gurinov as saying.

Gurinov said Russian forces used high-precision strikes to eliminate illegal armed formations in the Idlib de-escalation zone, resulting in the destruction of several command posts, ammunition depots, and 18 militants.

Moreover, Gurinov said in early July that the so-called US-led international counterterrorism coalition in Syria has committed 14 violations of uncoordinated drone flights in one day.

"During the past day, 14 violations of the Memorandum of Understanding on Prevention of Flight Safety Incidents in the course of operations in the Syrian Arab Republic dated October 20, 2015, related to flights of unmanned aerial vehicles uncoordinated with the Russian side by the 'international anti-terrorist coalition' led by the United States were recorded," Gurinov told a briefing.

In the past months, the US has been activating its arms system on Russian aircraft over Syria. Gurinov said Russian pilots have logged such actions in eastern Syria, noting that the US continues to breach deconfliction protocols with Russia and the air safety agreement in Syria.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... em-into-ir

[Anthea]

Clashes Between Tribes and SDF

A checkpoint operated by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria on Wednesday morning was attacked, killing two SDF fighters and six tribesmen in Al-Harejah town in northern Deir ez-Zor, a war monitor reported

Preliminary reports say four more tribesmen were killed in the attack, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The attack comes after the Deir ez-Zor tribes overnight gave the SDF and the International Coalition a strict 12-hour ultimatum to release the detained leaders of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council, who were recently captured in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakah.

Through a video message, the tribe leaders emphasized the urgency of the SDF releasing the detainees promptly. They also demanded the cessation of what they called "security enhancements" in the Deir ez-Zor region.

The tribal leaders cautioned that if the detainees weren't freed within the specified timeframe, they would initiate a "general mobilization" and view the SDF as a legitimate target.

Furthermore, the tribes' statement appealed to the International Coalition to step in and ensure the detainees' release.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/821764

The tribes were there long before the SDF moved in

Why is the SDF supporting the illegal US invasion of Syria

[Anthea]

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SDF Dismissal of Abu Khawla
By Wladimir van Wilgenburg

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for the first time on Wednesday confirmed the dismissal of commander of Deir Ezzor Military Council, Ahmed Al-Khubail (Abu Khawla), who was arrested earlier this week

“Following a period of monitoring and considering numerous reports and complaints from the local populace, and based on an arrest warrant issued by the Public Prosecution in NE Syria due to his involvement in multiple crimes and violations, including communication and coordination with external entities hostile to the revolution,” the SDF said in a statement.

Moreover, the SDF accused Abu Khawla of “committing criminal offenses and engaging in drug trafficking, mismanaging the security situation, his negative role in increasing the activities of ISIS cells, and exploiting his position for personal and familial interests that violated the internal regulations of the SDF.”

Therefore, the SDF said that the Deir ez-Zor Military Council, with the consent of SDF Military Council, has decided to dismiss the commander of Deir Ezzor Military Council, Ahmed Al-Khubail, from duty along with four other individuals within the council, directly involved in these crimes and violations.

It has been earlier reported that Abu Laith Khisham, who previously served as the deputy to Abu Khawla, has been chosen by the SDF to take on the role of the new leader for the council.

In the meanwhile, clashes and unrest have continued in Deir ez-Zor, and so far, twenty-two people including three civilians have died in Deir ez-Zor in clashes between the SDF and tribal supporters of Abu Khawla, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Wednesday.

The Deir ez-Zor Military Council was originally established in 2016 with the primary objective of leading the charge against ISIS. In 2019, the SDF successfully defeated ISIS in Deir ez-Zor, thereby putting an end to the final vestige of territorial dominance held by the militant group.

In July, Deir ez-Zor also witnessed tensions between the military council and SDF forces, fueled by rumors of the SDF's intention to replace Abu Khawla. However, the clashes stopped as Khawla urged his supporters to stand down.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/32 ... Abu-Khawla

[Anthea]

22 Killed in Clashes

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Twenty-two people including three civilians have died in clashes in Kurdish-held northeastern Syria between US-backed fighters and members of an affiliated group whose leader was arrested, a war monitor said Tuesday

"Sixteen local fighters and three members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been killed" during the clashes in several villages in the east of Deir ez-Zor province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, raising an earlier toll.

Three civilians including two children have also been killed in the violence, it added.

The US-backed, Kurdish-led SDF spearheaded the battle that dislodged ISIS fighters from the last scraps of territory they controlled in Syria in 2019.

The affiliated group, the Deir ez-Zor Military Council, is led by Ahmad al-Khabil, also known as Abu Khawla, who was arrested in the city of Hasakeh late Sunday, the Observatory said.

The move sparked tensions that deteriorated into clashes after gunmen attacked SDF positions, added the Britain-based Observatory, which has a network of sources inside Syria.

The charges against Khabil were not immediately clear. However, the Observatory and an activist told AFP he was known to have been involved in smuggling and had amassed considerable wealth over the years.

The Deir ez-Zor Military Council, one of several Arab groups affiliated with the SDF, is responsible for security in parts of Arab-majority Deir Ezzor province.

Swathes of the province are part of a semi-autonomous administration in north and northeast Syria that the Kurds carved out following the defeat of IS.

The Kurds administer the area through local civilian and military councils in an effort to stave off any Arab discontent.

"What's happening today is a settling of scores," said Omar Abu Layla, an activist who heads the DeirEzzor24 media platform.

"Corrupt commanders felt they were in danger after Abu Khawla was arrested and have tried to turn it into a tribal and Arab issue in order to protect themselves," he added, warning that the unrest could "negatively impact the region".

The SDF has not commented, but said in a statement that it had launched "an operation to bolster security" on Monday in Deir Ezzor province against IS and "criminals... involved in drug trafficking and benefiting from arms smuggling".

The operation was continuing "in order to arrest those involved in criminal activity", added the statement.

The areas where clashes have occurred are along "a known smuggling route", an SDF source said, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Syria's war has killed more than half a million people since it broke out in 2011, escalating into a deadly conflict that pulled in foreign powers and jihadists insurgents

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/32 ... 2:-monitor

If the US were there to dislodged ISIS fighters, why have they invaded Syria and are increasing their illegal bases?

[Anthea]

Clashes between Arab tribes and SDF

Al Mayadeen's correspondent reports that renewed clashes have broken out between tribal fighters and SDF militias in Deir Ezzor

Clashes erupted this morning between tribal fighters from Deir Ezzor and SDF militias in the vicinity of the town of Dhiban, north of Deir Ezzor, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Syria reported.

Concurrently, the SDF withdrew its checkpoints from the towns of Tayyana and Al-Shaafah: calling back its armored vehicles from the town of Al-Sourah, north of Deir Ezzor, towards Al-Hasakah.

Hundreds of tribal fighters rallied at the residence of Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil Al-Hafel, an influential figure among the tribes, in Dhara town, expressing their support against the SDF offensive.

Locals have erected earthen barriers on roads in Abu Hammam, Ghraneij, and Al-Kishkiah areas, as a sort of precautionary measure against a potential SDF offensive.

It was reported earlier this week that intermittent clashes were breaking out between armed tribal groups and affiliates of the Deir Ezzor Military Council, on one side, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on the other, in the northern and western countryside of Deir Ezzor Governorate.

The Council's militants managed to regain control of "Abu Khawla Palace" in the village of Rabieda, Deir Ezzor.

Additionally, the Council and the tribal groups blocked roads connecting the northern and western countryside of Deir Ezzor and threatened to target any patrols belonging to the SDF. The SDF were accused of attempting to eliminate Arab leaders within their ranks and imposing the dominance of Kurdish elements on the residents of the Governate's countryside.

Elders and prominent figures of Arab tribes in Deir Ezzor issued an official statement giving both the US-led coalition and the SDF a 12-hour ultimatum to release those detained and to lift the siege on families trapped in Al-Hasakah, threatening to declare general mobilization against the militants if their demands are not met by the deadline.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... arab-tribe

US have about 40 illegal bases in Syria