Russia renews mediation attempts between Damascus, SDF: Sources
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The sources said that a Russian delegation arrived in the city of al-Hasakah to discuss a mechanism to lift the ongoing six-day siege imposed by SDF militants on citizens of al-Hasakah and Qamishli.
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American soldiers drive a Bradley fighting vehicle during a joint exercise with so-called Syrian Democratic Forces armed groups in the countryside of Deir Ezzor in northeastern Syria, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021 (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)
Al Mayadeen sources confirmed on Monday that Russia has renewed its mediation attempts between the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Arab Army in the city of Hasakah, aiming to end the military escalations launched by SDF in recent days.
The sources added that a Russian delegation arrived in the city of al-Hasakah to discuss a mechanism to lift the ongoing six-day siege imposed by the SDF on citizens of al-Hasakah and Qamishli in northeastern Syria, during which they banned the entry of water, fuel, flour, medicine, and food into the enclaves in al-Hasakah and Qamihsli, while also restricting on the movement of civilians in the areas.
SDF militants attacked Syrian army positions in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor early Monday morning, targeting the towns and villages of Sabikhan, Al-Boleel, and Muhasan with mortar and artillery shells, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported.
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The town of Baqras in the Deir Ezzor countryside was targeted by the SDF using a suicide drone before the militia launched a ground assault, seizing control of three military positions held by the Turkish-backed "National Army" militia. SDF then cut off the road to the city of Marae, where clashes subsequently erupted.
This comes after Arab tribes attacked and liberated several villages held by the SDF in eastern Deir Ezzor. In the context of these ongoing confrontations between the Kurdish-controlled SDF and the Arab tribes, the latter sieged several enclaves controlled by the Syrian Arab Army in northeastern areas of the country, namely in Qamishli and al-Hasakah.
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The SDF set up multiple checkpoints around the areas it controls in northeastern Syria, where it detained multiple Syrian officers and soldiers and also affected the movement of Russian forces in Qamishli.
On Saturday, Al Mayadeen sources confirmed that the Russian mediation between Damascus and the SDF aimed at resolving tensions in Hasakah and Qamishli had failed to produce positive results. The SDF's demands were deemed unachievable by government representatives, leading to the rejection of these conditions.
The sources said that the SDF asked for the release of two Kurdish commanders, who were taken captive by Arab tribes during their offensive on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. However, they made no mention of the 43 other SDF fighters who were also taken captive, due to their Arab origins, the sources added.
The Syrian government's representatives considered "the tribal movement against the SDF to be a result of the latter's actions against them," adding that "it is a popular movement expressing the tribes' rejection of the current status quo in the region."
"The United States might be behind the SDF's actions, which are employing inhumane methods to achieve political and strategic gains," the sources said.
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