Fighting in east Syria kills 11 civilians

DAMASCUS

Bombardment by pro-Iranian groups supporting the Syrian government killed 11 civilians in an eastern village under the control of the PKK/YPG terrorist group, a war monitor said on Aug. 9.

Six children were among the victims of intense shelling of the east banks of the Euphrates in Dahla in the Deir Ezzor province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Assad regime forces and Iran-backed fighters are deployed on the west bank of the Euphrates in Deir el-Zour, while members of the PKK/YPG control the east banks of the river.

Fighting erupted on Aug. 7 when Deir el-Zour in eastern Syria saw fighting early on Aug. 7 between the PKK's Syrian wing YPG and local tribes.

Arab tribes reportedly attacked YPG checkpoints and their headquarters in surrounding villages.

The clashes in eastern Syria are the most intense in nearly a year in areas where hundreds of U.S. troops have been deployed since 2015 to help the YPG in the fight against ISIL.

Deir el-Zour is a predominantly Arab province, while the PKK/YPG draws its recruits mainly from Syrian Kurds. The terror group is accused of forcibly recruiting Arab children in regions it occupied in Syria.

On Aug. 8, Türkiye said it is closely monitoring developments in Syria following clashes between the PKK and Arab tribesmen.

Ankara has long accused Washington of supporting the PKK under this pretext. It is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union.