About 16 Syrian soldiers killed while confronting terrorists on Friday

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
2 Sep 2023 22:13

Reports suggest that around 16 Syrian soldiers were martyred during confrontations with terrorist groups in the country's east.

Syrian Arab Army soldiers fire their weapons during a battle with terrorists at the Ramouseh front line, east of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, December 5, 2016 (AP)

16 Syrian soldiers were martyred following fierce confrontations against militants from armed terrorist groups in the northern region of Latakia, Syrian newspaper Al-Watan reported on Saturday.

Additionally, five other soldiers sustained injuries during the violent clash and have since been transported to hospitals for immediate medical attention. The severity of their injuries remains undisclosed at this time.

A multitude of Western-backed terrorist organizations arose in Syria in the wake of the US-led war that has been waged against the country, all of whom have been fighting against the legitimate Syrian Arab Army that has managed to eradicate many similar groups.

This comes amid heavy fighting in Syria's east as the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces are engaging in clashes with Arab tribes east of the Euphrates.

SDF announced that they are launching a military operation to confront Arab tribes in the country's east as an Al Mayadeen correspondent said SDF used artillery and grad MLRS to bomb the town of al-Busaryah in Deir Ezzor Eastern countryside.

Local sources from northern Deir Ezzor confirm the control of Arab tribal fighters over the entire towns of Al-Baghouz, Al-Basir, and Al-Shahil. The sources confirmed Arab tribal fighters control the road leading to the Al-Omar oil field, which is the largest US base in the area.

Arab tribes took control of the entire river line opposite the Syrian army positions in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, local sources confirmed.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Friday imposed a curfew in the Deir Ezzor countryside after sustaining losses in the governorate's east.

Sources in eastern Syria earlier on Friday told Al Mayadeen that fighters from Arab tribes have taken full control of the town of Hajin in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, shortly after the withdrawal of the SDF militias from the area.

The sources also confirmed that SDF militias withdrew from several other villages in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. Video clips shared by journalists on social media showed armed tribal fighters in these villages.

It is worth noting that 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.

Violent clashes erupted once again on Saturday between fighters belonging to the "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, Al Mayadeen's 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 Friday, 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 "National Army" and SDF on the Manbij front.

Simultaneously, the "Syrian National Army" is said to have opened crossings for individuals from local tribes willing to join the fight against the SDF in Manbij and Al-Bab. This move was reportedly realized through a joint attack by the SNA and armed groups claiming to be tribal members, targeting several villages on two fronts.

Turkish-affiliated SNA posted videos claiming they had "taken control of the villages of Arab Hasan and Al-Mushannaleh" in the countryside of Manbij and Al-Bab, while the spokesperson for the SDF-affiliated Manbij Military Council, Sharfan Darwish, quickly denied "any news of mercenaries gaining control over any point or checkpoint in the villages and towns of the countryside of Manbij and Al-Bab."