Syrian forces push deeper into the US-backed Kurdish controlled northeast
Officials and security sources reported on Sunday that Syrian government troops were pushing toward Raqqa in the northeast, which is the last stronghold of the U.S. supported autonomous Kurdish led administration.
The Kurdish-led group suffered a major setback when they took control of Deir al-Zor’s main oil and gas fields east of Euphrates, a vital source of income.
Last week, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that it was inacceptable for a armed group (Syrian Democratic Forces), to control one quarter of the nation and its primary oil and commodity resources.
Officials said that U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack had held talks with Sharaa, the Syrian counterpart to the Kurdish leader in Erbil, northern Iraq. Washington was urging both sides to deescalate.
Washington is torn between trying to prevent the collapse of the self-rule Kurdish enclave, which was a key factor in the defeat of Islamic State in Syria, and supporting Sharaa in her bid for control of the rest of Syria.
Sharaa? has vowed not to allow Syria to be divided along sectarian or ethnic lines. Kurdish leaders, however, say that they are not seeking separation but rather a decentralised government.
On Sunday, France's president Emmanuel Macron stated that he spoke to Sharaa in order to express his concerns about the ongoing offensive by the government against Western-backed Kurdish led forces.
Macron, whose nation has participated in mediation efforts between Damascus ad the Kurds on Saturday, said that the offensive must?stop.
The Syrian army is pushing on in areas controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which are mainly Arab-populated.
According to a government source, Kurdish-led troops were "overcome" after Arab tribal fighters advanced. This allowed the government and tribal allies of Baghouz, near the Iraqi frontier, to advance into territory of over 150 km along eastern bank of Euphrates, from Baghouz towards key towns such as al-Shuhail, and Busayra.
Officials from the Syrian government said that the advance effectively brought the majority of Deir al-Zor Province -- the main oil-and-wheat-producing area in the country along the Euphrates River -- under their control.
Residents of Raqqa reported that SDF forces have begun to remove some of their equipment.
The army took control late Saturday of Tabqa, its dam and the Freedom Dam west of Raqqa, which was formerly called the Baath Dam.
Syrian Kurdish Authorities, who deny the loss of these strategic sites, claim that fighting continues near the dam. They accuse Damascus for violating an agreement regarding the withdrawal of troops from areas east Aleppo in order to expand their offensive.
Officials from the Syrian Kurdish government?said that factions aligned to the government attacked their forces in spite of efforts made to achieve a peaceful result. The civil administration in the region claimed that Damascus wanted to create divisions between Arabs, Kurds and other ethnic groups.
"We're at a critical juncture. "We either resist or face injustice with dignity," the statement read, and urged residents in the majority-Arab regions to support the SDF.
"We urge our people to prepare themselves to fight any attack, and especially to arm themselves. "We are in a battle for our very survival," the statement continued.
The government had called on SDF fighters, most of whom were from Arab tribes, to defect. It claims that hundreds of SDF fighters have switched sides to join tribal forces against the SDF.
The rapid advance of the government has been aided by the thousands of tribal Arabs who have taken up arms against SDF. This reflects years of resentment about forced conscription and marginalisation of oil-rich areas.
The SDF has denied that it favors Kurds within its governing bodies. It says the leadership ranks of the SDF reflect the diversity in Syrian society. Reporting by the Damascus Team; Writing by Suleiman al Khalidi, Editing by Elaine Hardcastle & Jane Merrill
(source: Reuters)
