The Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Al-Asayish) have arrested three Iranian engineers on the road between Al-Hasakah and Al-Qamishly, local sources told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
This caused tension and triggered a security alert among the Shiite militias supported by Iran and present in the Raqqa countryside.
Anadolu Agency reported that the engineers were en route from the regime-ruled Al-Qamishly Airport to Al-Hasakah to fix the water pumps there.
Sources told the news agency that the Kurdish members stopped the vehicle, arrested the engineers along with the Syrian driver, and took them to an unknown location.
For its part, Russia interfered in favor of releasing the three engineers.
Al-Hasakah suffers from a severe water crisis due to the halted pumping at the Alouk water station.
Local sources in Raqqa reported that pro-Iran Liwa Fatemiyoun militia and the Iraqi Hezbollah were deployed on the land crossings linking the regime-ruled regions to the SDF-run areas.
They were also positioned on the lines of contact in the countryside of Raqqa where the inspection takes place.
The Iranian militias have deployed dozens of members at the Safian crossing, al-Hawra, al-Sabkha, and the contact lines, and most of them are from the Iraqi Hezbollah, a military source said.
Ain al-Furat Network mentioned that the Iranian militias hoisted their flags instead of the regime flags on the crossings.
In a related context, sources in Deir Ezzor revealed that Iran seeks to form a new militia similar to the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq.
Ain al-Furat Network broadcast last Friday exclusive photos showing training operations at the Iran-affiliated militias' camps in Deir Ezzor's western countryside.
