SDF takes charge of securing 7 villages in Deir ez-Zor amid ISIS threats
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – The Deir ez-Zor Military Council, a component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), announced on Tuesday that it has assumed responsibility for safeguarding seven villages east of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria.
The villages of al-Hussainiyah, al-Salihiyah, Hatla, Marrat, Mazloum, Khsham, and al-Tabiyyah have been under the control of the Syrian government forces and Iranian-backed militias since the expulsion of the Islamic State (ISIS) in late 2017.
In a statement, the Deir ez-Zor Military Council declared that their forces are now responsible for protecting the residents of these seven villages.
The statement added that this move came in light of “recent developments in western Syria, particularly in the Badia region, and the existence of a serious threat related to the imminent movement of large ISIS terrorist cells to control geographical areas unprotected, especially in the north and east of Deir Ezzor.”
The statement also emphasized that their deployment to the seven villages was made “in response to the urgent pleas and appeals of the local populace, following the increasing potential risks that ISIS will exploit the events in the west of the country.”