Click to see full-size image, source: sdf-press.com
On September 6, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) entered the key town of Diban in the southeastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, the stronghold of Sheikh Ibrahim al-Hafel who has been leading an Arab tribal uprising.
The armed uprising broke out on August 27 after the SDF arrested Rashid Abu Khawla, the leader of its largest Arab faction, the Deir Ezzor Military Council (DMC), and launched a large-scale security operation within its areas in the governorate in cooperation with its main backer, the United States-led coalition.
Abu Khawal was accused of several serious crimes and violations, including communicating with an “anti-revolution” foreign power, drug trafficking, abuse of power and facilitating ISIS operations in Deir Ezzor.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that the SDF entered Diban and carried out a series of raids in the town. However, it didn’t enter the house of al-Hafel. The Sheikh is a prominent leader of Al Uqaydat, one of the largest and most influential Arab tribes in northern and eastern Syria. His fate is still unclear.
The SDF entered Diban following unconfirmed reports of U.S. mediated talks between the Kurdish group and senior Arab tribal leaders, some of whom related to al-Hafel.
The fall of Diban didn’t mark the end of the uprising in Deir Ezzor, as clashes and protests were reported in several other parts of the eastern and southeastern countryside of the governorate with reports of Arab tribal fighters amassing for a large attack.
In addition, tribal fighters backed by Turkey continue to launch attacks against the SDF near the town of Manbij in the northern Aleppo countryside.
According to the SOHR, the conflict in Deir Ezzor has so far claimed the lives of 90 people, including 57 tribesmen, 24 fighters of the SDF and nine civilians.
Even if the conflict ends with a win for the SDF, the group’s influence in Deir Ezzor will likely continue to weaken in the long term. While Arab tribes in the governorate have not yet taken any stance against the U.S.-led coalition, which maintains two bases on their territory, there were reports of cooperation and communication between them and Syrian government forces who control the western bank of the Euphrates River.
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