Alwaght- Despite the relative calm in various parts of Syria, Deir Ez-Ezor has a different story and every now and then clashes erupt between the Arab tribes and uninvited guests in this province.
Clashes between some Arab tribes of Deir Ez-Ezor with the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have started since last summer and have re-ignited in recent days.
In this connection, a field source in Deir Ez-Zor said that the SDF on Thursday targeted Kornish Al-Mayadeen area on the western bank of the Euphrates River, where the Syrian government institutions are located, and the Arab tribal forces responded to these attacks, leading to a broader confrontation.
Militants of the Arab tribes in the eastern outskirts of Deir Ez-Ezor managed to take control of several Kurdish bases in the cities of Dhiban and Tiana after clashing with the SDF forces.
Deir Ez-Ezor media sources also confirmed that most of the military forces of the SDF forces in Dhiban have evacuated their posts after the tribal forces attacked the post office building and a school in the town.
The media affiliated with Deir Ez-Zor tribes published videos showing that the Arab militias have caused a lot of damage to the SDF forces and the military equipment of this group after seizing the town.
According to local sources, as a result of these clashes, 5 SDF militants were killed.
The tribal men also attacked one of the posts of the SDF near the Eshara bridge from the side of Darenj town, at the same time as the people of Eshara were transferred to safer areas.
The SDF imposed a curfew following the movements of tribal forces in the cities of Al-Sabha, Al-Dahlah, Abriha and Al-Basira, and announced through mosque loudspeakers that snipers will shoot anyone defying the curfew.
What is happening?
The clashes occurred after Sheikh Ibrahim al-Hafel, the brother of Al-Aghidat tribe and the commander of a militia named Tribal Army, announced a public mobilization to recapture Dhiban lands recently taken by the SDF.
Deir Ez-Ezor tribes want to strengthen the position of the Arabs in the political institutions of the so-called 'Autonomous Administration', which is dominated by the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to the detriment of the Arabs.
The SDF groups accuse some Arab tribes of collaborating and communicating with Damascus and have arrested a number of leaders of these tribes so far, and these actions have inflamed the tensions.
Last August, following the arrest by the SDF of Ahmed al-Khabil, the leader of Deir Ez-Zor Military Council, by the SDF, armed clashes between the two sides erupted, continuing for several days.
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi pledged at that time to respond to the demands of the Arab tribes after the end of the conflicts and to correct the mistakes made in the administration of the region.
As for how to fix the shortcomings, Abdi promised to reform the Civil Council of the Autonomous Administration, which is run under the supervision of the governorate, and the composition of the Deir Ez-Ezor Military Council affiliated with the SDF, so that representatives from all tribes are given presence, but after three months, none of his promises have been fulfilled and this issue has led to Arab discontentment.
The SDF forces have full control over the political institutions and resources of Deir Ez-Ezor, which has led to an increase in the sense of injustice, exploitation and political marginalization of the local people.
At the security level, the SDF continue to carry out arbitrary arrests targeting the Arab youth of the region and follow a policy of forced recruitment and systematic displacement, leading to an increase in public anger that has remained like fire under ashes.
The presence of American forces in Deir Ez-Zor, which support the SDF against the Arabs and arm them to confront the central government in Damascus, is part of the problem, not the solution.
The Arab tribes are calling for their empowerment for direct management of their regions and becoming independent of the Kurdish forces in terms of economy, security, military, services, and politics.
The Arabs also demand a fair distribution of the resources of Deir Ez-Ezor between the Arab and Kurdish residents in order to solve some of the living problems that have plagued them over the past decade.
The task of the SDF forces is clear as they are supported financially and militarily by the US, but the Arab tribes, who are mainly in the areas under the control of the central government, are unclear if supported by Damascus or the foreign actors or none.
However, some experts claim that the central government and Iran are providing arms support to the Arab militias in Deir Ez-Zor so that they can drive the American occupying forces out of this oil-rich province.
Since Arabs account for a majority of the population of Deir Ez-Ezor, strategic regions of this province, like oil and gas fields, are controlled by the Kurds and the Arabs have no access to the energy sources.
SDF forces hold this region with support of the US while in east of Syria there are no Kurdish-majority regions and the Arabs are angry for being marginalized by the occupation forces and want their rights back.
Economic and military significance of Deir Ez-Ezor
Deir Ez-Ezor in eastern Syria is of great importance for all local, regional and international actors. This province has a vital strategic position that has made it a competition ground. It is located near the Euphrates River and near the Iraqi border, and with an area of about 33,000 square kilometers, it has a population of more than 1 million.
Deir Ez-Ezor connects the two neighbors of Syria and Jordan and borders the five provinces of Homs, Hama, Raqqa, Hasakah, and Rif Dimashq. Additionally, the province hosts one of the ground routes that links Lebanon to Iran through Syria.
In addition to its location, the importance of Deir Ez-Ezor lies in the existence of oil and gas fields and pumping and processing stations through the network of pipelines, something underscoring importance of the province for international actors.
It is very important for the US that the strategic areas freed from the clutches of the ISIS terrorist group, located on the common border between Syria and Iraq, remain out of control of the central government and the resistance forces. For this reason, Washington has been plundering dozens of tankers of Syrian oil daily and transferring them to other countries since a few years ago, making billions of dollars.
By strengthening the positions of the Kurds, the US intends to cut off the communication route between Baghdad and Damascus and consolidate its long-term occupation, and therefore, in a soft way, it is strengthening the SDF forces in all areas of Deir Ez-Zor in order to continue plundering Syria's energy resources. Deprived of these national revenues, the Arabs started protesting to take over the management of these rich and untapped resources.
In addition, the US wants to establish permanent bases in Syria, and to advance these plans, it needs the help of Kurdish allies, but the tribes are a thorn in Washington’s side.
Furthermore, location of Abu Kamal border crossing in Deir Ez-Zor doubles the military significance of this province. Since the US controls Al-Tanf military base, Abu Kamal is of great significance for Damascus and its allies and can watch the movements of the occupiers from this crossing.
In this regard, the Syrian army in recent years increased its military reinforcements in Abu Kamal and staged military drills to cleanse the region of ISIS terrorists. The latest was held a few days ago.
On Thursday, the Syrian army and the allies finished ground military drills in Abu Kamal desert on the border with Iraq. According to the army, these exercises simulated a ground confrontation operation with extensive movements of armed men in Al-Tanf area and areas under the control of the SDF forces on the east bank of the Euphrates River aimed at blocking the communication routes between Baghdad and Damascus. Therefore, it seems that the US is worried about the military movements of the resistance forces in Abu Kamal and is trying to strengthen its position in Deir Ez-Zor.
Due to its position and energy wealth, Deir Ez-Ezor has become a turning point in Syrian conflict, and this means that its control is crucial in evaluating the cards of actors at the time of negotiations for final solution.
The existent tensions between the Damascus-backed tribes and the Kurds and the contradictory US policies all are factors that complicate the situation in this province. Therefore, there is an urgent need for solutions that consider the interests of the people of Deir Ez-Ezor and boost stability and development in this region. This is impossible without withdrawal of the occupation forces from northern Syria and leaving management of political and service institutions and energy resources to the central government.
