Syrian Kurdish forces enter Deir Ezzor as Assad forces pull back

Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) patrol the Kurdish town of Al-Darbasiyah — Members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) patrol the Kurdish town of Al-Darbasiyah in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) in northeastern Syria, bordering Turkey, November 2018. Photo: AFP

DEIR EZZOR, — Syrian Democratic Forces SDF forces, the de facto army of the autonomous Kurdish administration in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), a Kurdish-led group supported by the United States, have entered the city of Deir Ezzor after Syrian government forces, backed by Iran, pulled out. This development was confirmed by a war monitor and television reports.

The Kurdish-led SDF, said in a statement: “To protect our people, our fighters from the Deir Ezzor Military Council were deployed in Deir Ezzor city and to the west of the Euphrates River.”

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Syrian government troops and their Iran-backed allies unexpectedly withdrew from the eastern part of Deir Ezzor city and its surrounding areas on Friday.

The decision to pull out came after a series of significant setbacks suffered by the Syrian regime during an ongoing offensive by rebel groups.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP that Syrian forces and their allied Iranian-backed commanders retreated from the city and its countryside.

Columns of soldiers were reportedly seen heading toward the central region of Palmyra. This retreat occurred amid an intensified offensive by Islamist-led rebel forces, which have made significant advances in recent days, pushing close to the city of Homs, located to the west of Palmyra.

Deir Ezzor has long been a significant area for Iranian influence in Syria. The city hosts Iranian advisers and a variety of Iranian institutions, including schools and a cultural center.

Iranian-backed militias have been a vital part of President Bashar al-Assad’s military efforts since the war began in 2011, fighting alongside Syrian government forces to suppress opposition movements.

Deir Ezzor province is strategically important due to its oil-rich resources and its position along the Syrian-Iraqi border. The region is divided, with Kurdish forces controlling the eastern part of the Euphrates River, while Syrian government and Iranian-backed forces hold the western side, near the Iraq border. This area has also been a critical hub for Iran’s militias, including fighters from Iraq.

On Thursday, Turkey-backed Syrian Islamist forces successfully seized control of Hama after driving pro-government troops out of the city.

The ongoing conflict, which started in 2011, has had a devastating toll on the country. According to the Syrian Observatory, since the resumption of fighting on November 27, at least 826 people have been killed, with 111 of those casualties being civilians. T

he war, which began as a peaceful uprising against the Assad government, has claimed the lives of more than half a million people.

The recent developments in Deir Ezzor mark another significant turn in the ongoing war and could have wider implications for the balance of power in the region.

(With files from AFP)