SDF enters al-Hawayej east of Deir Ezzor, clashes with tribal fighters

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
5 Sep 2023 15:46
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The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have brought in reinforcements to attempt to regain territories lost to tribal fighters as clashes intensify.

Syrian Democratic Forces at the entrance of the town of al-Shuhail, Deir Ezzor, Syria on September 5, 2023. (Twitter)

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on Tuesday, intensively bombarded the towns of al-Tayanah and Dhebian, east of Deir Ezzor, with mortars and drones, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported.

The correspondent reported a significant displacement movement of the people of the towns of Al-Tayanah and Dhebian towards areas on the west bank of the Euphrates River which are under the control of the Syrian Arab Army.

The SDF has focused its attacks on Dhebian, which is considered the stronghold of tribal fighters and the headquarters and where the tribal chief of the Al-Aqidat tribe, Ibrahim Al-Hafel, resides.

Accused of being “the head of discord and incitement against it,” the SDF declared al-Hafel as "wanted" by its forces.

The correspondent further pointed out that "the SDF brought in unprecedented military reinforcements, in an attempt to restore the villages of the eastern countryside that tribal fighters took control of."

They also pointed out that "SDF forces entered the town of Al-Hawayej in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, after shelling and violent clashes with tribal fighters," adding that "the tribal fighters repelled three violent attacks carried out by SDF forces on the town of Dhebian, east of Deir Ezzor."

The sources confirmed to Al Mayadeen, "It is not true that the SDF forces have taken control of the town of Al-Shuhail," noting that the SDF are present only at the entrance to the town.

#دير_الزور الريف الشرقي #عاجل
بأسـ.ـلحة خفيفة .. تواصل تـ.ـصدي أبناء المنطقة و مقاتـ.ـلو العشـ.ـائر لهجـ.ـوم " قسد " على بلدة ذيبانhttps://t.co/3DClaE8Hj0 pic.twitter.com/OMujManTat
— همام (@HamamIssa7) September 5, 2023

Clashes in east Syria between US-backed SDF, Arab tribes

Intermittent clashes have been occurring since Saturday in several villages in eastern Syria, coinciding with the imposition of a curfew in the region by SDF due to ongoing escalations against Arab tribes east of the Euphrates.

Concurrently, the area witnessed a significant reduction in the intensity of clashes, with only three villages reportedly experiencing sporadic conflicts, as per local sources.

Earlier on September 2, violent clashes erupted between fighters belonging to the so-called Syrian National Army (SNA), a group supported by Turkey, and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the western outskirts of Manbij in the countryside of Aleppo.

SNA fighters are making a concerted effort to advance in the direction of the Am Adasa village in western Manbij, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported. This advance is accompanied by a barrage of heavy artillery and rocket fire from both sides.

This latest escalation comes on the heels of Russian airstrikes on September 1, targeting five positions that the SNA fighters had previously occupied in a village in eastern Aleppo. These areas have been under the control of the US-backed SDF, while the Russian military, in coordination with the Syrian government, is actively working to thwart the expansion of the SNA in northern Syria.

The strikes came after days-long clashes between the so-called Syrian National Army and SDF on the Manbij front.