Russia-brokered deal reached to contain hostilities in eastern Syria

Attacks by Damascus and Iran-backed tribes on Kurdish militias raised regional tensions

A Syrian boy displaced from the eastern city of Deir Ez Zor to the Kurdish militia-held city of Raqa in central Syria, on June 18, 2022. AFP

US-backed Kurdish militias have agreed with the Syrian military on an outline deal brokered by Russia to end week-long hostilities in eastern Syria, the centre of the country's oil and wheat production, two officials in the Kurdish-dominated administration told The National on Tuesday.

The deal indicates Russia's influence in an area regarded as the core of the US presence in Syria, and Moscow's desire to maintain its ties with Kurdish militias despite their reliance on Washington, as well as protecting a significant presence of forces loyal to President Bashar Al Assad in the divided area.

“The pressure we have been applying on the regime helped,” said one of the officials.

The fragmentation of Syria's east into Russian, Iranian, and US zones of control is a result of the civil war. It started in late 2011, after security forces suppressed a peaceful protest movement in March of that year demanding the removal of Mr Al Assad.

A week ago, Arab tribal forces loyal to Iran and to Damascus launched a surprise offensive on areas held by Kurdish-led armed groups called the SDF and Asayish.

Both are led by the People Protection Units, accused by Turkey of being affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which is designated as a terrorist group by Ankara.

They captured from the SDF two towns in Deir Ezzor province, near a US-held oilfield. The SDF later cut its losses, but the hostilities, which left up to two dozen people dead, ended the understanding between Damascus and the Kurdish militias.

Among them is freedom of movement for forces loyal to Mr Assad in the centre of Qamishli and Hasakah, two cities in the east that are mostly controlled by the Kurdish militias.

Part of the Kurdish armed response was Asayish besieging government forces in the centres of the two cities. Asayish also detained several Syrian army officers as they travelled to a security compound in Hasakah from their base outside the city.

For the last several days, Russian officers have been shuttling between the compound and Kurdish militia commanders based in the city to solve the impasse, the sources said.

The deal, reached late on Monday, stipulates that the Arab tribal forces halt their attacks, which have been mostly in Deir Ezzor province. Part of these forces, called the Lions of the Okeidat, are regarded as loyal to Iran, while the other component, the Hafl forces, are held to be proxies of Syria.

“The Iranians will be still robbed of tribal strength without the Hafl forces neutralised,” the source said.

The deal also stipulates an exchange of the officers and other government-linked prisoners for 15 Kurdish militia fighters who were captured by tribal forces over the last week.

As of Tuesday morning, Asayish were still preventing the exit of forces loyal to the government out of the centre of Qamishli and Hasakah, but the restrictions are expected to end soon, said the sources.

The unrest had amounted to a challenge to US influence in the area, coming amid an escalation in tension in the region over the war in Gaza, particularly between allies of Iran and the US.

The challenge to the grip of Kurdish groups in the area also came amid increased attacks in recent days against US bases in Syria and Iraq. The attacks, suspected of having been carried out by Shiite militias loyal to Tehran, are seen as shot across the bows of Washington, which had sent reinforcements to the Middle East to help defend Israel.