Deir Ezzor ... from black era to organization, serious action - 4

'Regional and international forces use of ISIS to destabilize Deir Ezzor'

Deir Ezzor is one of the strategic areas in Syria, as it links Syria to Iraq, and rich in natural resources. It was the last stronghold, where ISIS mercenaries were defeated and focus of attention of many regional and international powers, such as Russia, Iran, America, and in addition to Turkey, and these conflicts have great burdens on the region, its people, and the civil administration.

The total area of Deir ez-Zor is 33 thousand km2, and the Euphrates River divides Deir Ezzor into two parts; west of the river is controlled by the government of Damascus, Russia and Iranian groups, and contains key cities as;  Deir Ezzor, Al-Bukamal and Mayadin. The east of the river was completely liberated by the Syrian Democratic Forces during the Al-Jazira Storm campaign, which was launched on September 9, 2017, and culminated in the geographical elimination of ISIS on March 23, 2019, with population of more than one million 650 thousand.

The Civil Administration of Deir Ezzor strives to improve the service reality in the liberated areas, which have been greatly destroyed over the past ten years, as a result of the conflicts there.

Members of the Civil Administration have been subjected to assassinations since its establishment, including the co-chair of the Legislative Council, Marwan Fateh, on December 29, 2018, and the co-chair of the Tal Al-Shayer Council in the Dashisha district, Saada Al-Hermas, and the co-chair of the co-presidency, Hind Al-Khudair, on 23 December. January 2021, along with the assassination attempt, against the spokeswoman for the Deir ez-Zor Military Council, Liwa Al-Abdullah.

The assassinations also targeted the dignitaries and sheikhs in the area extending from Al-Ageidat to the town of Al-Baghouz, the last, was against one of the elder of the Al-Ageidat tribe, Sheikh (Atelyoush Al-Shatat Al-Lafi) and his son Mahmoud in the village of Hawaij Theban on January 11, 2021.

The assassinations are systematically carried out by some ISIS mercenary cells, and cells of the regional and international powers. In this context, the co-chair of the Deir Ezzor Civil Council, Ghassan Al-Youssef, confirms that ISIS cells have been active a lot in the region recently, and said: "In addition to ISIS, regional and international cells try to destabilize the region, and attack the Civil Administration and the Syrian Democratic Forces, a multi-ethnic force of Arabs, Kurds and Syriacs from the region.

'Regional powers support ISIS'

Al-Youssef pointed out that the Autonomous Administration's achievement of successes on the ground in some areas, despite some shortcomings, and its steady steps, that is why many personalities, civil administration administrators and tribal leaders were targeted.

Al-Youssef emphasized that the intensive activity of ISIS mercenaries is fueled by regional powers, and said in this context: “ISIS is fueled by regional powers in the region, and these forces have a long history in the Syrian conflict, and they do not like to see it stable as regions of northern and eastern Syria.

'A systematic plan to destabilize'

Al-Youssef noted that 2020 witnessed systematic targeting of tribal leaders and elders who support the Autonomous Administration, and continued, saying: “There is a plan systematically by several parties, whether of terrorist organizations or forces in the region to destroy the Autonomous Administration that do its best to achieve security and stability. "

Al-Youssef indicated that there is direct contact between the administration and the tribes of the region, they stand against these attempts, and confirm that there is a conspiracy targeting them by forces in the region.

Al-Youssef explained that there are great efforts underway in cooperation and coordination with the elders of the Arab tribes in the region in order to secure security and stability. "

'Settlements in exchange of the region security'

For his part, the leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the eastern region of Deir Ezzor, Rayan Al-Shanan, noted that the early cells in the Deir Ezzor regions, were directly affiliated with ISIS mercenaries, but some of the leaders of those cells made a settlement with the security branches of the Damascus government in Deir Ezzor and Iranian armed groups, in exchange for destabilizing the Civil Administration there.

He continued, saying: “The other part of ISIS mercenary leaders headed to the occupied Syrian regions by Turkey after defeating ISIS in Deir Ezzor, and made a settlement with Turkish intelligence,” and confirmed that this was made after June 2018, and they have documents confirming this.

He pointed out that their forces arrested a number of these cells during the sweep campaigns carried out by the Syrian Democratic Forces in the area.

He confirmed that they have documents prove presence of ISIS mercenaries' camps in the occupied city of Serêkaniyê, and another in the Muhassan area in Deir Ezzor, which is controlled by the Damascus government forces, and said: “There are a large number of ISIS mercenaries in the Muhassan School awaiting settlement and throw them into battles under the name of Iranian militias.” 

Al-Shanan explained that the goal of the cells belonging to the security branches of the Damascus government and affiliated with the Turkish intelligence is common, which is to destabilize the security and stability of the region and weaken the Syrian Democratic Forces.

The city administration, the internal security forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces have taken several measures to eliminate the cells of the government of Damascus, Turkey, and ISIS mercenaries in the region, including the opening of the Salhiya land crossing, at the northern entrance to Deir Ezzor, and preventing the use of illegal water crossings along the Euphrates strip and intensify combing campaigns in Deir Ezzor regions.

Tomorrow: 2020 ... the year of servicing and restructuring liberated areas in the countryside of Deir Ezzor

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ANHA