By Shella Abdulhalim
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – For months and years, Iranian-backed militias and Syrian government forces along with other affiliated groups have launched attacks and conducted infiltration operations into areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in eastern Syria, specifically in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, the matter negatively affected the security and stability of the area.
The operations are launched from the western bank of the Euphrates River and target the eastern one. The Euphrates River serves as a dividing line between the areas controlled by the government forces and the Iranian militias on the western bank, and those held by the SDF and the U.S.-led Global Coalition on the eastern bank.
Two years ago, Iran established a floating bridge over the Euphrates River, connecting the city of Deir ez-Zor to the village of Hatla, east of the Euphrates River. This facilitates the move of the Iranian-backed militias to the SDF-held areas.
Such attacks have destabilized the region, terrorized the civilians, and exacerbated the security challenges, a military official of the SDF said. The SDF continues to report attacks on its outposts in the region by militants linked to Iranian militias and government forces.
Mahmoud Habib, spokesman of the Northern Democratic Brigade, a military group affiliated with the SDF, said, “These repeated attempts to infiltrate and destabilize the SDF-held areas have caused significant security concerns.”
He told North Press that these operations are carried out by militias supported by the Syrian government’s intelligence agencies and Iranian-backed militias.
Since the beginning of 2024, the SDF has thwarted several infiltration attempts to its held areas by both the government forces and the Iranian backed militias. the attempts led to fierce clashes that erupted between the SDF and those groups.
The attacks are launched from the towns of al-Hussainiyah and Khsham, and the villages of al-Salihiyah, Hatla, Marrat, Mazloum, and al-Tabiyyah. All of them are under the control of the Syrian government and are 23 km away from the SDF-controlled areas and 10 km away from Deir ez-Zor Airport which the Syrian government forces controlled in late 2017 supported by the Russian forces and Iranian-backed militias.
According to Habib, the Syrian government views the SDF-held areas as a challenge to its authority and territorial integrity. As a result, the government forces seek to extend their control over these areas, leading to heightened tensions and sporadic clashes.
He further added that, like Turkey, Iran employs a strategy of proxy warfare to exert influence and advance their political and military objectives.
“The presence of Iranian-backed militias in SDF-held areas is driven by their territorial ambitions. These groups seek to establish a foothold in strategic locations to enhance their regional influence while also undermining SDF control,” he noted.
Repeated attempts
A military source from the SDF in Deir ez-Zor told North Press in a previous interview that the forces thwarted several attempts of infiltration by militias affiliated with the government forces that came from the western bank of the Euphrates.
On March 24, Hajin Military Council, a military group affiliated with the SDF, announced it thwarted an attempt of infiltration by a group of militants affiliated with militias related to the government forces and Iran from the west of the Euphrates River to the east in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria.
On Feb.14, the SDF announced in a statement foiling an infiltration attempt by armed groups affiliated with the government forces into areas east of the Euphrates River, after killing and injuring several militants.
On Feb. 10, an SDF leader told North Press that an armed group affiliated with the government forces infiltrated from areas west of the River and attacked a post in the town of Shaafah in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, killing SDF fighters.
While on Jan.2, The SDF thwarted night-infiltration attempts by the government forces in conjunction with attacks against their posts in Deir ez-Zor, resulting in fierce clashes between the SDF and the government-backed militias.
“However, the SDF have successfully resisted all these attempts,” the spokesman of the Northern Democratic Brigade indicated.
Habib pointed out that sometimes, when there are multiple infiltrations and a large number of infiltrators using advanced weapons, the U.S.-led Global Coalition forces provide air support to help detect and address the threats in the targeted area.
He stressed that the Coalition works closely with the SDF to maintain security in Deir ez-Zor. However, the area faces disturbances not only from threats coming from the west bank but also from occasional reemergence of the Islamic State (ISIS) cells, which pose a great danger.
Impact of attacks
The repeated attempts by the militias and the government forces in the SDF-held areas have had profound implications for regional stability and civilian populations.
Habib stressed that the continuous clashes and infiltration attempts undermine stability in the region, creating an environment conducive to the reemergence of extremist groups and terrorist activities. This not only jeopardizes the gains made against ISIS but also increases the risk of regional destabilization.
He added that the negative impact of these operations is confined to human casualties.
Moreover, these actions have instilled fear and terror among the civilian population, as the majority of people in Deir ez-Zor rely on the river for their livelihood, whether through farming or raising livestock.
Ahmad al-Ali, a pseudonym for a farmer from Deir ez-Zor, told North Press that they are afraid of being targeted while working in their lands near the Euphrates banks.
“Three young men of my family were killed on their farmland during clashes erupted between the SDF and the government forces due to infiltration attempts,” al-Ali told North Press.
These actions have had a detrimental effect on civilians, particularly those living in close proximity to the Euphrates River. As a result, many of them have been forced to flee their homes, leading to a significant displacement crisis, al-Ali concluded.