Iran-backed militia leader killed in Deir ez-Zor car bomb attack
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – A car bomb attack on Tuesday in the city of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, led to the killing of a senior leader in the Iranian-backed so-called Tribal Forces militia.
Khaled al-Ghannam, a senior leader in the Tribal Forces, was killed alongside two of his escorts in a car bomb explosion in Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria.
Al-Ghannam died when an explosive device detonated in his vehicle near the Globe Roundabout in the al-Joura neighborhood as he headed to a meeting with the National Defense Forces (NDF).
The Tribal Forces are led by Ibrahim al-Hefl, sheikh of the al-Uqaydat tribe, who became known during the clashes in Deir ez-Zor in August, where he worked to mobilize militants to fight the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
According to a government military source speaking with North Press, the explosion completely destroyed the vehicle and left no survivors among those inside. The incident has heightened security concerns in the region.
The source added that recent tensions had reportedly flared between al-Ghannam and other Iranian-backed militia leaders two days before the attack, though further details remain undisclosed.