Dozens dead as Kurdish-led forces clash with Syrian government loyalists

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces say they have driven out 'regime gunmen' in Deir Ezzor

A Syrian Democratic Forces fighter stands guard in Syria's north-eastern Deir Ezzor province. AFP

Fighters loyal to the Syrian government have clashed with Kurdish-led forces in a mainly Arab district of eastern Syria, leaving 25 people dead in two days, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, who are backed by Washington, said they had "driven out the regime gunmen who had infiltrated the Dheiban area" of Deir Ezzor province in clashes that erupted on Monday.

US-backed Kurdish-led forces imposed a curfew on Monday night after clashes started again in eastern Syria, where their fighters had battled for weeks with rival militiamen, Syrian media reported.

The reports say the Syrian Democratic Forces imposed the open-ended measure in several towns in Deir Ezzor province, including the town of Ziban, close to the Iraqi border where US troops are based.

Hundreds of US troops have been there since 2015 to help in the fight against ISIS.

The province is home to Syria’s largest oilfields.