“Our forces have taken complete control over Deir ez-Zor city,” the HTS-led coalition announced on Telegram. “Our fighters continue to advance in areas and towns of Deir ez-Zor countryside after controlling the city center.”
It comes after a commander in the SDF-linked Deir ez-Zor Military Council known as Abu al-Harith al-Shaiti announced the defection of the council from the Kurdish-led force.
But the council quickly denounced his announcement, saying in a video address that he betrayed them for “personal interests” and that they are still with the SDF.
“We call on our people in Deir ez-Zor in general to not meddle with lies and baseless talks that have no substance,” the council said.
Syria’s civil war dramatically reignited late last month when a coalition of rebels led by the HTS launched a blistering offensive against the Syrian army, seizing the northern cities of Aleppo, Hama, and Homs, and culminating their victory by capturing the capital Damascus as rebels said Assad fled the country, ending over five decades of Baathist rule.
As the developments unfolded, Kurds greatly expanded the territory under their control to cover most of oil-rich Deir ez-Zor province in the east after Syrian government forces and their pro-Iran allies withdrew to redeploy in other areas where the regime fought rebels.
On Saturday, SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi issued a general amnesty in newly-controlled areas of Deir ez-Zor.
It also comes amid a renewed offensive by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) against Kurdish forces.
In late November, the SNA launched an operation against the SDF in the northwestern region of Shahba, controlling it days later. They also took over the strategic northern city of Manbij earlier this week which Kurdish fighters had liberated from the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2016.
