Deir ez-Zor countryside | “National Defense Forces” clash with militiamen of “Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas”, and expel them from NDF positions in al-Mayadeen

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has monitored clashes on the outskirts of al-Mayadeen city in Deir ez-Zor countryside, between the local Militia of “Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas” of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the National Defense Forces of the regime forces.

The clashes erupted after the Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas militia attempted to take control of a National Defense Force headquarters and checkpoint on al-Shibli road near Ain Ali, under the pretext that the headquarters is located near Ain Ali shrine, which is an area controlled by Iranian forces.

In this context, the members of the Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas militia surrounded the headquarters and the checkpoint, and asked the National Defense members to withdraw from the headquarters peacefully. However, the National Defense Forces refused to withdraw, and brought in military reinforcement from nearby areas, while clashes took place between the two sides, leaving six militiamen of Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas injured, and a vehicle was destroyed.

After that, Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas militia withdrew after failing to take control of the headquarters, amid a state of tension in the city, coinciding with attempts by the military region command and security branches to defuse the tension between the two sides.

It is worth noting that it is the second attempt by the Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas militia to take control of this headquarters.

In January, hand-to-hand fight broke out between members of the National Defense and members of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias at the oil smuggling crossing on the bank opposite to SDF-held areas in the town of Al-Quriya in Deir ez-Zor countryside.

It is worth noting that the National Defense Forces is investing in the crossing opposite to SDF-held areas, by transporting oil in return for money and revenues go to the regime’s command region.