US-backed SDF militants abduct 9 Syrian civilians in Dayr al-Zawr amid growing public anger

US-sponsored and Kurdish-led militants affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have abducted several civilians in Syria’s eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr as public discontent grows over the presence and arbitrary practices of the militants and American military forces.

Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Syria’s official news agency SANA that SDF militants stormed people’s houses in Sweidan Jazeera village, which lies in the southeastern countryside of the province, on Tuesday and took nine people away.

The sources added that the US-backed militants took away the captives to an unknown location.

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The SDF forces then set up a number of checkpoints across the village in a bid to prevent locals from participating in demonstrations against them, which have been prevalent in other towns and villages of Dayr al-Zawr and neighboring province of Hasakah over the past few weeks.

The development took place only two days after SDF militants fatally shot a young man in Alaya neighborhood of the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli

SANA reported that the US-sponsored militants also rounded up a number of youths in the area at the time, and transported them to one of their training camps.

Security conditions are reportedly deteriorating in areas controlled by the SDF in Hasakah and Dayr al-Zawr provinces amid ongoing raids and kidnappings of civilians by the militants.

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Locals complain that the SDF’s conduct has generated a state of frustration and instability, severely affecting their businesses and livelihoods.

Residents accuse the US-sponsored militants of stealing crude oil and refusing to spend money on services sectors.

Local councils affiliated with the SDF have also been accused of financial corruption. They are said to be embezzling funds provided by donors, and failing to provide basic public requirements.

New US military convoy enters northeast Syria from Iraq

Separately, US forces brought military reinforcements from Iraq to Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah in a new violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty.

Local sources told SANA that a convoy of trucks, oil tankers and several Humvee tactical vehicles rumbled through the Waleed border crossing and entered the Jazira Region on Monday evening.

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The sources added that the vehicles later headed toward US bases in Tal Baydar district of the province.

Since late October 2019, the United States has been redeploying troops to the oil fields controlled by Kurdish forces in eastern Syria, in a reversal of President Donald Trump’s earlier order to withdraw all the troops deployed there.

The Pentagon alleges that the move aims to “protect” the fields and facilities from possible attacks by Daesh, contrary to earlier suggestions by Trump that Washington sought economic interests in controlling the oil fields.

Syria, which has not authorized the presence of the US military in its territory, says Washington is “plundering” the country’s oil.

The presence of US forces in eastern Syria has particularly irked the civilians, and local residents have on several occasions stopped American military convoys entering the region.

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