Syrian regime forces cross Euphrates River

Syrian regime forces have crossed the Euphrates River in eastern Syria, south of Deir Ezzor city on Monday, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence.

The crossing was made using a specially constructed pontoon bridge, and with the support of Russian air strikes.

Up until Monday's crossing, Deir Ezzor province to the east of the Euphrates River was under the control of either Daesh or the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Daesh had also controlled almost all of the south of the province, with the exception of a part of the capital, Deir Ezzor city, where the Syrian regime forces had been besieged for the past three years.

The siege was broken earlier this month when regime forces, with the backing of Russian air strikes, advanced into the city from the west.

After the regime forces crossed the Euphrates River to the east, SDF field commander and head of the Deir Ezzor Military Council, Ahmed Abu Kholed, warned that they were ready if there were clashes between the SDF and regime forces.  

"We're ready for those if the forces of the regime don't go back to the other bank," he was quoted as saying.

There is approximately five kilometres between the two groups.

The US-backed SDF consists primarily of the YPG, which Turkey considers an affiliate of the PKK, a group designated as a terror organisation by Turkey, the EU and the US.

Russian air strikes hit the SDF positions in the east of Euphrates River on Saturday, wounding six militants.  

The US-led coalition accused Russia of targeting SDF positions.

The statement by the coalition Commander Paul E. Funk said that Russian forces had struck a target east of the Euphrates near Deir Ezzor city, causing injuries to coalition partner forces. 

He added “the coalition forces and partners always retain the right of self-defence.”

Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov denied the accusations, saying that Russian planes had only carried out carefully targeted strikes against Daesh in Deir Ezzor province.  

“We will respond”

The day the SDF launched the operation on Deir Ezzor province two weeks ago, Abu Kholed made a statement, saying “The first step is to free the eastern bank of the Euphrates and the areas Islamic State (Daesh) still holds.”

Abu Kholed would not say whether there were plans to advance on Deir Ezzor city itself. “We don’t know how the battles will go after this,” he said.

He said SDF militants did not expect clashes with Syrian regime forces, but if fired upon “we will respond.”

A US Army spokesman, Colonel Ryan Dillon, on the other hand, talked to the reporters after his statement saying: "US-backed militias fighting Islamic State (Daesh) are not planning to enter the city of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria."

Hostile force

Although to date there have been no serious clashes between the SDF and Syrian regime forces, on September 10, Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said: "The actions by the United States and the coalition led by it have no justification, for they are destroying Syria, killing civilians during air strikes and destroying the economic infrastructure."

Mekdad, who was speaking during an interview with Lebanon's Al Mayadeen TV that was reported on by Tass news agency, said that the US "should withdraw its military personnel, otherwise the Syrian army will regard them as a hostile force."

Apart from the besieged Syrian regime forces, the city had up until recently been the second biggest base for Daesh in Syria for the past three years. 

For years there have been stable front lines between the regime forces and the YPG in Qamishli and Hasakah, while for the past few months there have been stable front lines in east Afrin, Manbij and south Raqqa.