Fri 18 October 2019:
Protests broke out in several areas of eastern Syria on Wednesday against the entry of regime forces into their towns and villages, following an agreement between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Bashar al-Assad officials.
The agreement to allow regime troops into SDF-held areas came after Turkey launched “Operation Peace Spring” against Kurdish militias in northeastern Syria.
The protests took place in several areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces, according to local media networks. Local activists had called on people to protest the entry of regime forces, Russian military police and allied Iran-backed militias into the area.
#D24 :
Messages from some protesters to Assad regime and #Iran during the sit-in in #AlHissan town. https://t.co/DiEdvxhTcl— ديرالزور24 (@DeirEzzor24) October 16, 2019
The local media network Deirezzor24 said that there was “tension and anger” in Deir ez-Zour province after the entry of regime forces and their militia allies into neighbouring Hassakeh province. Anti-regime protests out broke out in most of the villages west of Deirezzor city.
Local people fear that regime opponents will be arrested and that young men will be conscripted into the regime army.
Say, did the “Syrian Democratic” forces kurdish leadership consult with their Arab compatriots before deciding to hand over arab majority cities to the Regime?
Since they are democratic, not racist and Arabs have such a strong presence in their decisionmaking?— Zaher Atassi (@AtassiZaher) October 16, 2019
Regime forces were seen entering two military bases north of Raqqa on Wednesday. Some regime supporters in Raqqa demonstrated in favour of the entry of regime forces, holding up regime flags and pictures of Bashar al-Assad.
The agreement between the SDF and the regime allows the entry of regime troops to northern areas of Raqqa province on the Turkish border.
In separate developments, coalition forces bombed a regime position in the village of Khusham, east of Deir ez-Zour city on Tuesday, and warplanes of unknown origin bombed a position belonging to Iranian militias backing the regime near the Syrian-Iraqi border in the far east of the province.
#DeirEzzor
Demonstrations in the eastern countryside against giving control of the area to Assad regime forces by #SDF militia pic.twitter.com/NHsbAeNdZd— Sarmad al-Jilane (@Sarmad_AlJilane) October 16, 2019
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