Our news round on Syria brings together the latest developments from the war-torn country, where a complex web of alliances and rivalries continues to fuel violence and instability. From the killing of pro-Iran fighters in a strike near the Iraqi border to clashes between Arab tribes and US-backed SDF forces in Deir-ez-Zor, and attacks on US troops and Syrian soldiers, the situation remains volatile and potentially explosive, amid heightened regional tensions and threats of revenge by Iran and its allies.
Five pro-Iran fighters killed in Syria strike: monitor, sources
Five Iran-backed fighters were killed on Sunday in a strike in Syria’s east, near the Iraqi border, a war monitor said, adding it was not clear yet who was behind the attack, New Arab reported.
“Five pro-Iranian fighters were killed and others were injured, some severely… after an unknown drone targeted the military vehicle they were in… near the Syrian-Iraqi border,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The strike occurred in Syria’s eastern Deir Az-Zour province, where Iran wields significant influence and which is regularly targeted by Israel and the United States, according to the Britain-based monitor with a network of sources inside Syria.
Reuters reported that an airstrike on a vehicle in eastern Syria near the porous border with Iraq killed at least five fighters from pro-Iran units, according to two security sources in the region.
One of the sources said the strike was carried out by a drone, but could not specify which military the drone belonged to.
The second source said it targeted fighters as they changed shifts at a checkpoint.
In June, three pro-Iran fighters, including at least two Iraqis, were killed in an overnight airstrike in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border, the Observatory had reported at the time.
Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes mainly targeting army positions and Iran-backed fighters including from Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
US troops attacked in Syria, no initial reports of injuries, official says
U.S. troops in northeastern Syria were attacked by a drone, a U.S. official told Reuters on Friday, although there were no injuries according to initial reports.
This is the second attack in recent days against U.S. forces in the Middle East as the region braces for a possible new wave of attacks by Iran and its allies.
Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Iran-backed Hamas, was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran on July 31, an attack that drew threats of revenge by Iran against Israel, which is fighting the Palestinian Islamist group in Gaza. Iran blamed Israel for the killing. Israel has not claimed responsibility.
The assassination and the killing of the senior military commander of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, Fuad Shukr, by Israel in a strike on Beirut, have fueled concern the conflict in Gaza was turning into a wider Middle East war.
Iran has said the U.S. bears responsibility for the assassination of Haniyeh because of its support for Israel.
“Initial reports do not indicate any injuries, however medical evaluations are ongoing. We are currently conducting a damage assessment,” the U.S. official said on the condition of anonymity about the attack in Syria.
Syria says four troops hurt in alleged Israeli strike
Syrian state media reported Thursday that four soldiers were wounded by an Israeli strike in central Syria, citing a military statement, according to The Times of Israel.
The statement said the strike also caused “material losses,” without further elaborating.
Earlier Syrian reports claimed that explosions were heard at the Shayrat Airbase in Homs.
Since Hamas’s brutal October 7 massacre, which saw some 1,200 people killed in Israel and 251 kidnapped, Israel has escalated its strikes on Iranian-backed terror targets in Syria and has also struck Syrian army air defenses and some Syrian forces.
Clashes Between Arab Tribes and SDF Forces in Syria Pose Challenge to US
Al-Monitor published a report asserting that violent clashes have erupted in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province between Iranian-backed Arab tribes and US-backed SDF pose a challenge to the US, amid heightened regional tensions and complex alliances.
Violent clashes have erupted between Iranian-backed Arab tribes and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria’s eastern province of Deir ez-Zor. The fighting, which began on Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday, involved heavy artillery and mortar shelling, with US helicopters intervening in support of the SDF.
The clashes resulted in several casualties, including civilians, and came amid heightened tensions in the region ahead of an expected Iranian response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. The fighting poses a challenge to the US, which has troops deployed in the area as part of the international coalition fighting the Islamic State (ISIS).
The SDF, a Kurdish-led group, accused Syrian government forces and allied militias of launching the attack, which they said was thwarted with the help of US helicopters. The Arab Tribal Forces, led by Ibrahim al-Hifl, vowed to continue attacks to “liberate Arab land” from SDF control.
The clashes highlight the complex web of alliances and rivalries in the region, with the US backing the SDF and Iran supporting Arab tribes and the Syrian government. The situation remains volatile, with the potential for further escalation.
