SYRIA: Mortar exchange between regime and SDF, Co-Chair of Dayro Zcuro Military Council wounded in assassination attempt

DAYRO ZCURO, Syria — Several mortar shells fell near a checkpoint of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the village of Al-Dahleh in the countryside of Dayro Zcuro (Deir ez-Zor) on Friday. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), local sources reported that the mortars were fired by Syrian regime forces stationed on the western bank of the Euphrates River. The SDF responded by targeting the sources of fire.

The latest exchange of fire between the regime and SDF comes on the tail of separate operations against the remnants of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the east of the country.

On Thursday, the SDF, with the support of ground forces and air cover from the U.S.-led International Coalition, launched a large-scale security operation against ISIS cells in the Wadi al-Ajij area on the Syrian–Iraqi border in the northern countryside of Dayro Zcuro.

The area of focus for the operation is a major route by which ISIS smuggles weapons and other resources between the two countries.

In June, the SDF launched a two-stage operation to hunt down ISIS cells in Dayro Zcuro and Hasaka. The campaign resulted in the arrest of dozens of ISIS members and leaders.

Joint Syrian–Russian operations have been carried out against ISIS forces in the Syrian desert (Badia).

The Islamic State has maintained a significant presence in the Badia following its territorial defeat in March 2019, largely at the hands of the SDF their U.S.-led Coalition partners.

Some forces affiliated with the Syrian regime have been reluctant to take part in operations against ISIS elements.

An estimated 125 members of the regime-aligned National Defense Forces (NDF) defected to SDF areas in late-August due to increasing ISIS attacks in the area and to avoid partaking in the Badia operation.

The U.N. believes there are upwards of 10,000 ISIS fighters in Syria and Iraq.

Tensions have been simmering between Syrian and Iranian militias in Dayro Zcuro lately.

Forces associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) expelled the Fourth Division of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) from the city of Al-Mayadeen in the eastern countryside of Dayro Zcuro after a dispute between the two sides led to civilian casualties.

The IRGC have reportedly taken control over all smuggling operations across the Euphrates Rivers between Syrian regime and SDF areas.

Leaders from the region’s tribes have complained about the Fourth Division’s abuse of its authority, especially at their checkpoints which surround the city.

The Fourth Division has maintained a presence in the aera since they retook control from the Islamic State in late 2017.

On Friday, however, reliable sources informed SOHR that an armed group of NDF fighters arrested members of the IRGC-affiliated Al-Abbas Brigade militia in Al-Mayadeen.

According to the sources, members of the Al-Abbas Brigade looted the house of a relative of a senior NDF leader’s bodyguard after he travelled to Daramsuq (Damascus) for medical treatment.

The members of the Al-Abbas Brigade are currently being held in the NDF headquarters in Al-Mayadeen.

In other Dayro Zcuro news, the car of Lewly Abdullah, Co-Chair of the Dayro Zcuro Military Council, was shot at by unknown gunmen on motorcycles on the Al-Kharafi road between Al-Shaddadi and Dayro Zcuro, causing serious injuries to her and her driver.

This is the second attempt to assassinate Co-Chair Abdullah in less than 15 days.