Located in eastern Syria, Deir ez-Zor lies alongside the strategic border with Iraq. Part of Islamic State (IS) territory, the region is the focus of attention from forces loyal to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the US-backed, Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). With IS’ downfall, control over the region will require the collaboration of the tribes dominating the Deir ez-Zor landscape, a process complicated by local dynamics and possible intertribal strife.
Since September, SDF forces and pro-regime forces have been increasingly fighting to expand their zones of influence. According to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) issued Sept. 27, Russia installed a bridge over the Euphrates River, allowing pro-regime forces to cross the river after conducting overnight airstrikes against SDF positions near Deir ez-Zor city. The strikes came one day after the SDF-affiliated Deir ez-Zor Military Council asserted that its fighters would resist efforts by pro-regime forces to cross the Euphrates River in eastern Syria, according to the ISW.