The United States military on Thursday (August 31) called for bringing to an end of fighting between rival US-backed groups in east Syria and warned that not doing so may result in the resurgence of the Islamic State group.
The fighting broke out on Monday and claimed at least 40 people dead leaving dozens others injured in the eastern oil-rich province of Deir el-Zour. The fighting is seen as the worst in years. East Syria is where hundreds of US troops have been based since 2015 to help battle IS militants.
The clashes pitted members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces against its former ally the Arab-led Deir el-Zour Military Council and some regional Arab tribesmen who had sided with them.
In a statement, the Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve said that it is monitoring the events in northeast Syria closely.
“We remain focused on working with the Syrian Defence Forces to ensure the enduring defeat of Daesh, in support of regional security and stability,” it said. It used the Arabic acronym to refer to IS.
Different parts of the area along the border with Iraq witnessed sporadic clashes on Thursday in which both sides were bringing in reinforcements.
On Wednesday, the SDF and the council jointly said that Ahmad Khbeil, better known as Abu Khawla, would no longer command the Deir el-Zour Military Council. He and four other militia leaders were dismissed over their alleged involvement in “multiple crimes and violations,” including drug trafficking.
Khbeil was also snapped for “coordination with external entities hostile to the revolution”.
The fresh round of clashes raised concerns of creating more divisions among the SDF and its partners in eastern Syria where IS gained control once over large parts of territory and where the extremist group's militants still stage occasional attacks.
“Distractions from this critical work create instability and increase the risk of Daesh resurgence. The violence in northeast Syria must cease, and the effort returned to creating peace and stability in northeast Syria, free from the threat of Daesh,” the US military said.
There are at least 900 US forces in eastern Syria on any day, besides an undisclosed number of contractors. They partner with the SDF to work to prevent an IS comeback.
(With AP inputs)
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