Fighting has erupted in eastern Syria between U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters and Syrian government forces, according to reports and statements from both sides.
The latest clashes in the region coincide with ongoing fighting in the country’s northwest, where anti-government militant factions—led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group—launched a major offensive last week.
In a statement, the SDF said it was now “responsible for protecting” seven villages in Deir al-Zor that it had captured from Syrian government forces.
On the same day, however, Syrian state media reported that the government and allied forces had successfully thwarted the SDF’s assaults on the villages.
The Epoch Times could not independently verify claims made by either side.
The villages are located near a military base housing U.S. troops, hundreds of whom have been stationed in eastern and northeastern Syria since 2015.
Roughly 900 U.S. troops are currently deployed in Syria, where they control oil fields located near the east bank of the Euphrates River.
Another 2,500 U.S. troops are stationed in neighboring Iraq.
The deployments are part of a U.S.-led coalition tasked with fighting the ISIS terrorist group, which overran vast swathes of territory in both countries in 2014.
Washington said the deployments are needed to prevent a resurgence of the terrorist group, while Damascus regards the U.S. presence in Syria as an “illegal occupation.”
U.S. forces stationed in Syria work closely with the SDF, members of which are armed, supported, and trained by the United States.
U.S. support for the SDF has strained relations with NATO member Turkey because of the Kurdish-led group’s close links with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara regards as a terrorist group.
Also labeled a terrorist group by Brussels and Washington, the PKK has waged a bloody insurgency against Turkey—often attacking civilian targets—for the past 40 years.
The latest clashes in eastern Syria were not the first instance of violence between the SDF and forces loyal to Damascus.
In August, SDF fighters clashed with pro-government forces in Deir al-Zor Province, causing deaths on both sides.
Days later, the SDF attacked several government-controlled military outposts in the area, reportedly killing 18 Syrian soldiers.
‘Imminent Threats’
In a related development on Dec. 3, the Pentagon announced that U.S. Central Command had “successfully engaged and destroyed several weapon systems that posed a threat to U.S. and coalition forces in Syria.”According to Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, the targeted weapons systems included three mobile rocket launchers, a T-64 tank, and mortars.
He said the strike was conducted after several rockets and mortars—he did not say how many—were fired at U.S. forces deployed in the area.
“These self-defense actions successfully eliminated imminent threats to U.S. personnel,” Ryder said.
The Pentagon is “still assessing who was operating the weapons,” he said, adding that “Iranian-backed militia groups” had staged similar attacks in the past.
“To be clear, these self-defense actions ... were not linked to any broader activities in northwest Syria by other groups,” the spokesman said.
“Our focus is on protecting our forces and also preserving our efforts to conduct counter-ISIS operations in partnership with the SDF.”
