Violent fighting between Kurdish forces backed by the United States and local Arab fighters has gripped the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor since August 27. A total of 71 people died in just one week of the fighting, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on September 4. Our Observer says that these clashes are the result of brewing frustration among the majority Arab population about the violence carried out by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces.
Back in 2015, a number of ethnic militias and rebel groups in Syria joined forces to fight the Islamic State (IS) group, calling their new coalition the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and receiving backing from the United States and its allies. The members of the SDF were also united in their opposition to President Bashar al-Assad. Later, Arab Sunni fighters, recruited from Bedouin tribes, also joined the group.
