New Arab tribe joins fight to repel US-backed SDF from Deir Ezzor
4 Min Read
The fight against the Syrian Democratic Forces is growing by the day as more Arab tribes in Syria's Deir Ezzor consider the US-backed Kurdish militia with foreign agendas a harmful component of the country.
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Fighters with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces SDF in Baghouz, Syria, on March 23, 2019 (AFP)
Humat Al-Jazira armed group announced joining Arab tribal fighters in confronting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), just days after defecting from the US-backed Kurdish militia.
The newly-joined tribesmen were previously affiliates of SDF's Deir Ezzor Military Council (DEMC) and operated under the central operations room in Al-Busayrah.
Armed clashes broke out last week between armed tribal groups and affiliates of the DEMC, on one side, and the SDF, on the other, in the northern and western countryside of Deir Ezzor Governorate.
The fighting erupted after the Kurdish militia arrested the head of the military council, Ahmad Abu Khawla also known as Ahmed Khabil. The Arab leader was lured by the SDF to a senior meeting in the rural areas of Al-Hasakah and subsequently detained.
Read more: Situation escalates in Deir ezzor, clashes between Arab tribes and SDF
Furthermore, the democratic forces went on an arrest spree and apprehended several leaders of the DEMC after raiding their homes in the Khasham and Al-Aziziyah neighborhoods in Al-Hasakah.
Nawaf Abdul Aziz Al-Muslat, the Emir of Jabour tribes in Syria and the Arab world, declared general mobilization of his tribe members and announced joining the battle alongside the tribesmen against SDF in Deir Ezzor.
In a statement, the Emir accused the SDF of not respecting civil peace and security and of working to harm Syria and the entire region.
Read more: Deir Ezzor tribes give coalition, SDF 12-hour ultimatum to break siege
Al-Muslat stressed that "the war is no longer against a person or a council, but rather against the entire Arab tribal component," slamming SDF for describing the tribal community as being "ISIS-type and terrorist gangs."
"The Arabs on Al-Jazira are not ISIS, nor are they gangsters. They did not bring in foreign fighters, nor did they implement foreign agendas," he said referring to the fact that SDF operates under the United States and protects its interests.
The Kurdish militias "now they have attacked our homes and crossed our red lines," Al-Muslat said.
"Our silence throughout this period was not out of fear or lack of knowledge about what was happening and what was planned, but rather it was to preserve civil peace in the eastern governorates."
He pointed out that matters have now reached "a point that cannot be tolerated, as the SDF's transgressions in the eastern regions have gone beyond the personal dispute with Ahmed Al-Khabil and the Military Council in Deir Ezzor."
The Emir called for the expulsion of the SDF, which had offended the Kurdish tribes before the Arab ones, stressing that "this war is not against our Kurdish brothers, and we have strong ties with Kurdish tribes through religion, neighborhood, and blood," adding that Arab tribes hold all the "respect and appreciation for Kurdish tribes."
Al-Muslat also pointed out that Syria suffered severely "due to the SDF presence," noting that their harm extended to "brotherly Iraq" and neighboring Turkey through the militia's bases in Sinjar and the Qandil Mountains.
Confrontations between US-affiliated Kurdish militias and Arab tribes of the DEMC continue for the fifth consecutive day. The tribesmen are scoring significant field advances while SDF militants are retreating from different areas in Deir Ezzor.
Russia targets Turkish-backed militants
On another front, Russian fighter jets conducted a number of air raids against the Turkish-affiliated "Syrian National Army" - formerly the "Free Syrian Army" - positioned in a village located in Aleppo's northern country, an area controlled by SDF.
The strikes came after days-long clashes between the "National Army" and SDF on the Manbij front.
