Explosion targets U.S.-backed SDF in Syria’s Deir al-Zour

An explosive device ripped through a checkpoint manned by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia in Syria’s eastern province of Deir al-Zour on Saturday, a war monitor reported.

The explosive device went off at the checkpoint in the village of Thiban, leaving injuries among the checkpoint’s fighters in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

A day earlier, a similar explosion targeted the SDF in Deir al-Zour, the UK-based watchdog group said. It added that the SDF found two other explosive devices and dismantled them.

Meanwhile, the state news agency SANA said the SDF kidnapped a number of civilians in the town of Tal Hamis in the countryside of Hasakah province in northeastern Syria on Saturday.

It said there is a state of dismay among the civilians in areas controlled by the SDF.

SANA said that over the past three days protests erupted in Tal Hamis against the practices of the SDF.

The people called for the withdrawal of the SDF from their areas, according to SANA.

Meanwhile, SANA said the SDF continued to prevent the state servants from entering Syrian government institutions in Hasakah.

It is worth noting that the SDF militia has stormed all government-owned institutions in the southern part of Hasakah earlier this week.

Hasakah is largely controlled by the SDF while the Syrian government maintains some areas in Qamishli city, including the civilian airport.

The Syrian state media has branded the Kurdish-led SDF as a separatist force that is doing the bidding of the U.S. forces. Enditem