Syrian regime forces and Iranian militias sent reinforcements to Deir Ezzor following protests on Friday against the Iranian presence.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that large military mobilization by the SDF arrived at the contact lines with the regime forces in the villages of Al-Junaynah, Jiaa and the area of Al-Maamel in the northern and western countryside of Deir Ezzor.
At the same time military reinforcements by regime forces and Iranian militiamen arrived in the areas of Al-Salihiyah and Hatlah in the northern and eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.
A source from Deir Ezzor Civil Council – affiliated with the Syrian opposition – revealed that two people were killed. One of them is a civilian and the other is an SDF member.
Also, more than 20 were wounded due to Syrian and Iranian forces shooting fire on protesters as they moved towards al-Salihiyah (5km to the north of Deir Ezzor).
A source affirmed to DPA that after the protesters seized the first checkpoint, around 2 km away from the town’s north, the regime forces shot fire but the protesters kept moving forward and seized the second checkpoint, at the northern entrance of the town.
Dozens of vehicles carrying hundreds from Deir Ezzor arrived in al-Salihiyah to storm it, and the demonstrators demanded to expel Iranians from the town.
“The repercussions of the continuous smuggling between SDF controlled areas and regime forces’ controlled areas in the countryside of Deir Ezzor continue to shed light and reveal the involvement of more figures within the Syria Democratic Forces in these smuggling operations, despite the operations by the SDF and the Coalition to limit them, and their arrest of former leaders involved in the smuggling operation and arresting others for investigations,” SOHR added.
