On December 21, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) shelled several positions of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the town of al-Busayrah on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside, according to the Kurdish Hawar News Agency (ANHA). These claims are not yet confirmed by any official sources.
One day earlier, units of the SDF’s Deir Ezzor Military Council (DMC) attacked SAA oppositions in the village Khasham north of al-Busayrah, acceding to Syrian local sources. The sources revealed on December 21 that twelve fighters of the SDF were killed during the failed attack.
In a related development, Kurdish sources claimed that the SAA is coordinating its “attacks” on the SDF with ISIS. The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) that dominate the SDF also claimed that there is a deal between the SAA and ISIS in Deir Ezzor governorate to “block the Kurds”.