Residents of Syria’s Deir ez-Zor protest against Russian patrol
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – On Friday, residents of Deir ez-Zor, near al-Ma’amel Roundabout, protested against the entry of Russian military patrol coming from areas held by government forces west of the Euphrates through al-Salihiyah Crossing into areas east of the Euphrates.
“Dozens of armed young men from the tribes set fire to tires to block the road in front of the Russian patrol, so that the patrol could then cross amid firing Kalashnikovs from the tribesmen’s gunmen,” Hamad al-Kamel, a notable of the al-Bakara tribe, told North Press.
“All the sons of the tribes east of the Euphrates reject any presence of the Russians in the region,” al-Kamel said.
After crossing the patrol, the tribesmen opened fire at government forces’ points in the town of al-Salihiyah, west of the Euphrates, without any response from the government forces, according to al-Kamel.
The government forces brought hundreds of members to their points west of the Euphrates, in anticipation of any reaction from the angry tribesmen, according to a source from the government forces.
The towns of the western countryside witnessed widespread public anger due to the crossing of the Russian patrol, which necessitated the Global Coalition forces to deploy their forces near the same areas in an attempt to calm the angry tribesmen.
Activists called on social media to mobilize and reject any presence of any ally of the Syrian government in the areas east of the Euphrates.