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Ten civilians were killed in an attack by the PKK/YPG terrorist group that targeted the center of Deir ez-Zor, a key city in eastern Syria recently freed from PKK/YPG occupation by local Arab tribes.
The attack followed intensified clashes on November 27, when terrorists expelled from the city by local tribes returned to launch a renewed assault.
The militants opened fire on civilians in the city center, leaving the streets bloodied. Social media footage shared by local residents showed terrorists shooting at civilians from a mosque minaret.
1 min read
Deir ez-Zor is strategically important due to its proximity to the Syria-Iraq border. After the fall of the Assad regime in much of the region, local tribal militias aligned with Syrian opposition groups liberated the city from PKK/YPG control.
Iranian-backed forces, especially in areas like Al-Bukamal along the border, maintain significant influence.
While the PKK/YPG had controlled much of Deir ez-Zor and surrounding areas, the region remains crucial for access to Syria’s interior, particularly for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
Following the November 27 clashes, Syrian opposition forces captured major cities, including Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, and Homs, between November 30 and December 7.
On December 7, opposition factions entered Damascus, gaining increasing support from local populations, which led to the collapse of the Assad regime. Assad fled, marking the end of the Ba’ath Party’s 61-year rule.
Meanwhile, the Syrian National Army launched Operation Dawn of Freedom in December, successfully liberating Tel Rifaat and Manbij from PKK/YPG control and clearing additional terrorist strongholds along the Euphrates River.
Listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU, the PKK is responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, babies and the elderly, in its 40-year campaign of terror against Türkiye. YPG is PKK’s offshoot in Syria.
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