U.S. forces patrol line of contact with Iranian militias in Dayro Zcuro; Syrian Democratic Forces arrest members of Syrian regime sabotage cell

DAYRO ZCURO, Syria — The forces of the U.S.-led International Coalition have been mobilized in the eastern countryside of Dayro Zcuro (Deir ez-Zor). On Wednesday, Coalition forces conducted patrols, accompanied by aircraft, along the lines of contact with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) militias near the towns of Khusham and Marat.

The patrols came in response to military maneuvers conducted by the IRGC militias in several locations west of the Euphrates River on Tuesday. The IRGC have been strengthening their military positions in the vicinity of Al-Mayadeen and Al-Bukamal, specifically in the Al-Faida area, according to several sources.

The Iranian military maneuvers took place after a series of Islamic State (ISIS) attacks targeted their positions over the last week. ISIS groups struck IRGC and Syrian regime positions in the desert outside Raqqa, in the Al-Rusafa and Al-Sukhna regions, as well as in the southern desert of Dayro Zcuro.

In related news, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that its latest operation alongside Coalition forces in Dayro Zcuro resulted in the arrests of three members of a Syrian regime sabotage cell.

During the interrogations of the agents, it was found that a prominent commander within the regime forces supervised the cells responsible for the bombings and assassinations in several areas of Dayro Zcuro with the aim of creating chaos between the SDF and local Arab tribes.

Video footage of the cell’s bombings was also found. The members of the cell would send them to a regime officer named Ali in exchange for money and drugs.