Two senior US officials were sent to the south-eastern region of Deir Ezzor, in Syria, on Sunday to address the urgent need for de-escalation between the Kurdish-led forces and Arab tribal leaders, as 49 fighters and eight civilians were killed in recent days of violence.
The US embassy in Syria said Sunday that senior officials had met Kurdish-led forces and community leaders in eastern Syria, discussing the need for de-escalation after days of deadly violence.
Fighting erupted in the Kurdish-controlled areas of Deir Ezzor province after the US-backed, Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) detained Ahmad al-Khabil, the head of the local Deir Ezzor Military Council, last Sunday.
The violence has killed 49 fighters from both sides and eight civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, and a curfew went into effect in the area on Saturday.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich and Major General Joel Vowell, commander of the US-led coalition fighting Daesh (the Islamic State group) in Syria and Iraq, met “in northeast Syria” with the SDF, Kurdish authorities and tribal leaders from Deir Ezzor, the American embassy said.
They agreed on “the need for de-escalation of violence as soon as possible”, said the statement from the US embassy.
The largely Arab-majority Deir Ezzor province is controlled by the SDF to the east of the Euphrates, while forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iran-affiliated fighters are stationed on the west bank.
Kurdish authorities manage areas under their control through local civilian and military councils, to avoid upsetting local Arab tribes.
The US-led coalition maintains bases in the area.
Goldrich and Vowell “reiterated the importance of the strong US partnership with the SDF” in efforts to defeat IS, the statement added.
The SDF has denied any dispute with Arab tribes in the region, saying the clashes have mostly involved “elements of the regime and some beneficiaries” of Khabil.
Katrine Dige Houmøller, with AFP
