ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least 11 civilians were killed early Friday after Syrian army forces shelled a village near Deir ez-Zor, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said. As tensions continue in the region, the United Nations called for protecting civilians and adhering to international humanitarian laws.
“On the night of Thursday to Friday, at approximately 02:30 a.m., the Syrian regime forces… launched a barrage of rockets and artillery shells at the village of al-Dahalah. A significant number of these shells struck civilian homes and farms,” read a statement from the SDF.
The shelling killed 11 civilians, most of which were children, according to the SDF. Five others were injured.
The attack is the latest violent incident in Deir ez-Zor over the past few days.
The Syrian army has yet to comment on the attack.
On Wednesday, pro-regime National Defense Forces launched an overnight attack killing two civilians and injuring five others, according to the SDF. The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the SDF’s political wing, blamed Damascus and called for a cross-party condemnation.
Pro-regime fighters frequently clash with the SDF in the strategic province. Following Wednesday’s attack, SDF-linked security forces in Deir ez-Zor announced a total curfew.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN, during a meeting with the press on Thursday said that residents of Deir ez-Zor are suffering from severe food and water shortages, as well as a lack of medical services, due in part to conflict-damaged infrastructure.
“We call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, including taking constant care to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure in the course of military operations,” Haq told Rudaw’s Sinan Tuncdemir.
Haq noted that UN assistance will continue in the area.
Control of Deir ez-Zor province, which borders Iraq, is now split between the SDF and the Iran-backed Syrian regime. It is also home to many of the country’s key oilfields, such as Omar and Conoco, which the global coalition helps the SDF to control.
As the conflict in Syria moves into a new phase, pro-regime fighters have skirmished with the SDF in the province.
In September, the pro-Damascus groups were able to expel SDF forces from parts of the province. The Kurdish-led force was able to regain control of the areas after a few days.
There is a history of tense relations between the Kurdish-led SDF and some Arab tribes in the province. Some anti-SDF groups have claimed that the Kurdish-led force is targeting Arabs, which the SDF has rejected.
Updated at 9:05 pm Saturday
