Beirut, Aug. 30, (dpa/GNA) – At least nine people were killed in clashes on Tuesday between Arab tribe fighters and US-backed Syrian Kurds in eastern Syria, a war monitor and activists reported.
The clashes, in the countryside of Deir al-Zour, pitted the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic forces (SDF) against Arab tribes who used to fight alongside the SDF during their battles against Islamic State militants.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said at least 6 fighters from the Arab tribes and three SDF fighters were killed in the village of Al-Harija in the northern countryside of Deir al-Zour.
It added that Arab tribe fighters attacked SDF checkpoints in the area with heavy arms.
The clashes erupted Sunday after the SDF detained Ahmad Khbeil, better known as Abu Khawla, who is from the tribes and heads the Deir al-Zour military council in al-Hassakeh. He was detained with some of his supporters from the Arab tribes.
The SDF did not confirm his detention, but Kurdish activists told dpa Khawla is suspected of spying on the SDF for Turkey and the Syrian government.
The Observatory also reported Sunday that members of the Kurdish internal police force known as Assayesh stormed the offices of Baz news network, detaining five journalists including the head of the network.
It said Khawla partly finances the network.
“Abu Khawala has been marred by many corruption cases and abuses in north-east Syria,” Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory told dpa.
US forces were deployed to Syria in 2015 to assist the Syrian Kurds and their allies in the fight against Islamic State.
GNA