SDF announces Operation Security Reinforcement completion in Deir ez-Zor
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Friday the completion of the Security Reinforcement Operation that was launched in villages on the eastern side of the Euphrates River of Deir ez-Zor Governorate, east Syria on Aug. 27.
During the operation that lasted 13 days, the SDF combed 90 out of 125 SDF-held villages in the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, and cleared them from “the intruding armed groups,” the SDF said. “Only five villages were infiltrated by these armed groups.”
Nine civilians and 25 SDF fighters lost their lives in the operation, the SDF in a statement published on its official website, adding that 23 gunmen were killed. Also, the SDF managed to arrest four members of Syrian government-backed National Defense Forces (NDF), two ISIS militants, and 15 gunmen. “In addition, large quantities of weapons, ammunition, and explosives were confiscated.”
The SDF indicated that the primary objective of the operation was to target ISIS cells, but the “Syrian regime” sent armed groups in an attempt to “incite sedition” to turn the operation into an Arab-Kurdish conflict, the matter escalated the situation and turned into clashes between the SDF and the gunmen infiltrated from the western bank of the Euphrates River that is under the control of the Syrian government.
The gunmen targeted by the SDF were “engaged in looting and destruction of civic services, including the water station in Dhiban town, putting the lives of local inhabitants at risk,” the statement read. “The populace called upon our SDF for decisive intervention.”
“The positive and continuous communication between SDF and the local tribes in NE Syria has played a crucial role in foiling the schemes of the malign external regimes, the Syrian regime and the Turkish Occupation regime, who tirelessly sought to incite discord in our regions,” the SDF stressed.
On Aug. 27, the SDF launched a military operation called “Security Reinforcement” with the support of the US-led Global Coalition on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, specifically in Deir ez-Zor, “to eradicate ISIS sleeper cells, pursue criminals responsible for perpetrating injustices against the local population, and to track down smugglers who exploit the populace’s livelihoods.”
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.
The operation led to the eruption of clashes between the SDF and gunmen affiliated with the dismissed leaders and with Nawaf al-Bashir, leader of al-Baggara tribe and a pro-Iranian figure whose groups are active in the western bank of the Euphrates which is under the control of the Syrian government forces and Iranian-backed militias.
The SDF concluded the statement by reaffirming its commitment to intensifying efforts against all “criminal elements and ISIS cells to ensure security and stability in the region.”