U.S.-Backed Allies Clash In Syria, Now Guns Are Blazing And Tensions Are Soaring

The incident has raised concerns about potential divisions among U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters in the region, which is strategically located along the Iraq border and was once a stronghold of the Islamic State group. These U.S.-backed fighters play a pivotal role in targeting the Islamic State group's sleeper cells, which continue to execute deadly attacks.

The recent clashes occurred in the wake of the detention of Ahmad Khbeil, also known as Abu Khawla, the commander of the Deir el-Zour Military Council, by the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Khbeil and several members of his faction were detained following a meeting in the northeastern city of Hassakeh on Sunday. The SDF, however, has not confirmed Khbeil's arrest and did not immediately respond to inquiries from The Associated Press.

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Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, suggested that the SDF's apprehension stemmed from Khbeil's alleged attempts to establish connections with the Syrian government and Turkey. Turkey has launched several incursions targeting Kurdish fighters in northern Syria since 2016.

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Khbeil's arrest could potentially exacerbate tensions between Kurds and Arabs, as most of his detained supporters belong to a powerful tribe in eastern Syria. In July, a clash between the two sides resulted in the death of at least one Arab fighter.

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On Monday, opposition activists reported skirmishes between the factions in villages in Deir el-Zour. Both the Observatory and Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist tracking events in the region, confirmed that three members of the Deir el-Zour Military Council were killed. Other activists reported that enraged Arab tribesmen blocked roads in the province in protest against the SDF.

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The Observatory also reported that members of the Kurdish police force, known as Asayesh, raided the offices of the Baz news network, an activist collective, and detained five citizen journalists, including the network's head. The network, which is reportedly funded by Khbeil, confirmed in a statement that Kurdish fighters had detained its journalists, seized equipment, and taken control of its offices.

Currently, there are at least 900 U.S. forces stationed in eastern Syria, along with an undisclosed number of contractors. They collaborate with the SDF to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State group.