6 Houthi attack drones shot down in Red Sea

Although general peace prevails in areas controlled by the “Syrian Democratic Forces” (SDF) in rural Deir ez-Zor, they see sporadic attacks by local militias led by a tribal leader from the West Bank. The government-controlled Euphrates river drives officials into the autonomous regions of northeastern Syria, accusing officials of being behind the attacks, while observers of Syrian affairs believe the ambitions and dissent of some tribal leaders are being exploited. It is backed by an international coalition to fight ISIS in the region, to keep tensions in the region outside Damascus's control.

In the last of these operations, on Sunday, February 18, armed groups launched simultaneous attacks targeting SDF points and military checkpoints in several towns in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor without any reports of human casualties.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights indicated at the time that local gunmen had attacked the “Bobatron water treatment terminal” and “points in al-Dayana and al-Towns” where “Syrian Democratic Forces” were stationed. Soussa,” where violent clashes took place between the two sides.

Violent clashes erupted in Deir Ezzor's eastern countryside last August between gunmen from some Arab tribes and the Kurdish-majority SDF forces allied with the Democratic Union Party, which is backed by the international coalition against ISIS. American led.

Clashes have not stopped since then, resulting in dozens of casualties, including civilians, but peace has returned with the movement's leader, Sheikh Ibrahim al-Hafil, who at the time fled the region to Damascus and was accused of having ties to Syrian authorities. .

Al-Hafel is the brother of the sheikh of al-Aqidat tribe, one of the largest tribes in the Syrian Jazeera, and pictures and videos of him have recently circulated in which he appears with sheikhs and tribal dignitaries of the region. One of the guest houses in the Syrian capital Damascus.

Since the beginning of the clashes, the SDF leadership has accused the authorities in Damascus of being behind the tension and supporting al-Hafel, which the latter denied, insisting that it was “a legitimate movement to protect the people of the area”. their rights.”

However, Muhammad al-Hamid, a Syrian journalist specializing in the affairs of eastern Syria, confirms that al-Hafil was “in constant coordination with Damascus”, opening special camps for its fighters in the city of al-Mayadeen. It is under regime control in Deir Ezzor countryside.

Al-Hamid points out that the clashes that broke out in the region 6 months ago were behind tribal leaders, including al-Hafel and his cousin, former commander Ahmad al-Kubail. The Deir ez-Zor Military Council is affiliated with the SDF. They took advantage of his oppression. “People of the region to achieve personal ambitions.”

Al-Kubail, who belongs to the al-Aqidat tribe, used his influence within the Syrian Democratic Forces to demand tribal sheikhdom before the SDF leadership decided to remove him from office in August, leading to clashes between the two. The parties that exploded in areas where the SDF was stationed “Akidat.”

Despite the bad relationship between “Al-Khubail” and other important members of the tribe, loyalties are divided among the various authorities present in Syria, Ibrahim Al-Hafil took advantage of the concentration of conflicts between the forces of the “SDF” and “Ahmed Al-Khubail” Al-Aqidat armed movement in the villages of the tribe. In order to lead, it engaged in a violent conflict that lasted for about a month before the SDF regained control of the entire region.

Despite the end of major military operations between the two sides, a group affiliated with “Hafel” continued to carry out sporadic attacks, from villages overlooking the Euphrates River, “from the opposite side of the bank controlled by the SDF . . .” As Sihanouk Dipo, co-head of the Public Relations Office of the Democratic Union Party, puts it, the latter puts the matter in the context of “trying to destabilize” its regions and “subvert its national agenda”.

Oppressions and Ambitions

Tebow told Asharq Al-Awsad, “These actions are by parties who fear the autonomy plan, which has become a realistic solution to the Syrian crisis according to international resolution 2254. We believe that it is the Syrian regime that supports these groups. Otherwise, how can they move freely in the areas?” “From his control, it will attack our forces.”

While the SDF believes the goal is to attack its political agenda in Syria, observers believe the Syrian authorities are “taking advantage of the ambitions of prominent clan figures in the region and the sense of marginalization of some groups to weaken the Syrian Democratic Party. Forces.”

In this regard, Muhammad al-Hamid says, “Ibrahim al-Hafel initially succeeded in mobilizing a considerable number of fighters and supporters. Clashes broke out between opposition forces and the autonomous administration, but… al-Hafel fled to regime-controlled areas, and his contact with the Syrian security services was confirmed. His support and recognition has declined significantly.

He adds: “Currently, al-Hafel is in Damascus and has met with many tribal figures loyal to Damascus to recruit more fighters for his movement, where the Syrian authorities have provided training camps in the squares. . It also provided its members with the necessary facilities to launch armed attacks from the west bank of the Euphrates towards points on the east bank of the river (SDF), mainly (through the cities of Tiban, Abu Hamam, al-Qasra, etc.). and al-Hasan).

Despite sending calls to other tribes in the region to rebel against the SDF, Ibrahim al-Hafel failed to garner significant support for his movement, which was confined to the villages of the al-Aqidad tribe in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezz. Chor, where tribal and other clan leaders refused to get involved.

Clan map

Arab tribes and clans are spread in northeastern Syria (Al-Jazeera and Euphrates region), the most important of which are “Al-Baqara, Day, Shammar, Jays and Al-Aqidat” and all of them have been severely affected. The divisions since 2011 have seen the loyalties of sheikhs vying for leadership distributed among the parties and powers that control the region.

Syrian journalist Yasser Allawi believes that these tribal rivalries are actively or meddling in Syrian affairs by political forces and have tried to use it to their advantage, making the residents of the Jazeera region pay a double price.

He says of the effects of this movement: “Now (Syrian Democratic Forces), behind them (International Coalition Forces), have absorbed the uprising and contained major military attacks launched by tribesmen on headquarters and checkpoints. (SDF) in rural Deir ez-Zor east of the Euphrates “as the autonomous administration attracted important sheikhs and tribal figures to the region, tensions eased and attacks decreased, particularly as talk of regime participation in these attacks expanded.”

Despite continued operations by fighters aligned with Ibrahim al-Hafel against SDF forces in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, the prevailing belief is that the attacks lack popular support due to political and personal motives. Those responsible for them, especially those related to their links with the security services, lead many to believe that this will be limited and weak, especially since most of the region's residents and displaced are members of the opposition.