RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – Usually, protesters in Deir ez-Zor area in eastern Syria demonstrate against the dire living conditions in their own way, without being intercepted by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and their demands are listened to, in most cases.
The matter of blocking roads and burning tires is not new for Deir ez-Zor, as the SDF had not bombed them with mortars before, and had not “kill civilians” as is being promoted at the present time.
The events began on Aug. 27, when the SDF announced a security campaign called “Operation Security Reinforcement” in Deir ez-Zor to pursue sleeper cells of the Islamic State Group (ISIS), and those involved in crimes and violations against the population.
The SDF announced in a statement that the operation is with “well-defined objectives” and comes based on the demands of tribal leaders to pursue “terrorist sleeper cells and eliminate their root causes.”
The SDF began its campaign by arresting those involved persons including commander of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council, known as Abu Khawla and a group of his followers, where it was said later that Abu Khawla communicates with external entities, and is accused of committing violations.
After arresting those involved in violations and violating the SDF’s internal system, they tried to mobilize the people of Deir ez-Zor, and tribesmen against the SDF on a national basis despite most of them are Arabs.
Some of Abu Khawla’s followers and beneficiaries of his work intercepted security campaign patrols, and attacked military and security posts.
On Aug. 30, the SDF announced the dismissal of commander of Deir ez-Zor Military Council, Ahmad al-Khabil, known as Abu Khawla, from duty, for his involvement “in multiple crimes and violations, including communication and coordination with external entities hostile to the revolution, committing criminal offenses and engaging in drug trafficking, mismanaging of the security situation, his negative role in increasing the activities of ISIS cells,” according to the SDF.
It was promoted that there was a confrontation on a national basis as some of people resorted to sabotaging of public property and service facilities. Accusations were directed at Iranian-backed militias.
Pages on Facebook circulated a footage of burning Daranj water station, east of Deir ez-Zor, and stealing its contents completely, although the station provided water for thousands of homes, in light of an urgent need for pure drinking water, in addition to the high costs paid by the Autonomous Administration to build the station and ensure its operation to serve the population.
The speaker in the footage refers to militants from al-Asharah area, east of Deir ez-Zor, which is within the areas controlled by Iranian-backed militias, opposite to the village of Daranj, burning the water station and stealing its contents while crossing the Euphrates River to participate in sabotage acts.
“Saboteurs from Daranj burned down the station and fled to areas under the influence of the National Defense Forces (NDF) in Deir ez-Zor”, sources told North Press.
The Iranian-backed militias and government forces existing in Deir ez-Zor are loyal to Nawaf Ragheb al-Bashir, a pro-Iranian figure in Deir ez-Zor, who seeks to create a state of chaos in the areas controlled by the SDF by inciting racism against it under the pretext that what is happening in Deir ez-Zor is a tribal movement.
On the third day of chaos in Deir ez-Zor, unknown persons burned an oil well, and thick smoke appeared from one of the oil wells in the town of al-Ozba, east of Deir ez-Zor.
On Aug. 31, gunmen targeted an oil well near Koniko gas field in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor. A local source reported that Iranian-backed militias had brought in weapons and ammunition to the town of Jadida Akidat “with the aim of escalating against the SDF.”
The current situation in Deir ez-Zor brings to mind the state of chaos in Syria at the beginning of the crisis, when the Free Syrian Army took control of large areas of Syria, and thefts and security chaos spread, as public property and entire factories were robbed by them.
The Civil Administration in Deir ez-Zor held external entities responsible for the security chaos, pointing out that Iranian-backed militias cause chaos and vandalism in Deir ez-Zor.
Another footage that circulated on social media platforms, showed stealing contents of Diban water station in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
Sources said that Iranian-backed figures direct gunmen to attack and burn military vehicles and carry out attacks against the SDF.
Nawaf Ragheb al-Bashir appeared in a footage inciting gunmen to target military vehicles, block roads, and target oil wells to threaten bases of the US-led Global Coalition.
A notable of a tribe revealed leaked information to North Press, which indicate that Iran aims through chaos, insecurity and instability to “distract the US-led Global Coalition and hence forcing them to retreat from oil wells, especially since the region is close to the Iraqi border, which facilitates the completion of the Shiite crescent that Iran has worked on for a long time.”
The militants who serve foreign entities also vandalized the official and service facilities affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), in addition to stealing and vandalizing the content of security centers, such as the General Security Center in Hajin in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, and other centers. All public facilities have been vandalized and robbed, sources said.
The vandalism carried out by the militants negatively affects the population and serves external parties. These acts are not connected to tribes, as those who administer Deir ez-Zor are its own people, a fact dismissed by parties distant from what is really happening on the ground.