04/06/24: A series of overnight, cross-river attacks were carried against the SDF in Deir ez-Zour by the regime militias and ‘tribal forces,’ now overlapping entities. These occurred in several points in western, central, and eastern Deir ez-Zour. One such attack reportedly occurring at the village of Jadid Baggarah reportedly led to the capture of an SDF fighter by ‘tribal forces,’ the killing of several more, and the seizure of weapons and ammunition.
04/06/24: Four members of SNA 1st Legion faction Liwa’ Samarqand were killed when an IED attached to their vehicle detonated at a Civil Police checkpoint at the eastern entrance to al-Ra’i. Three were killed in the blast while a fourth died of injuries sustained, at a local hospital two days later. It appears that “eastern entrance” commonly refers to the northeastern entrance to city, meaning the explosion most likely occurred at this checkpoint (visible on newer imagery available via Google Earth) where that road meets the new road that circumvents the town, built by Turkey in 2018.
04/06/24: The AANES’s People’s Democratic Council issued a general amnesty (full text available in Arabic here) for prisoners within its prison system on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr. The law excluded those held for a a number of different crimes including “terrorism, crimes directed against the basic interests of the [AANES], crimes related to public funds, crimes of rape, indecent acts, and sexual assault of minors… drug trafficking… [and] trafficking of human organs,” as well as convicts currently on the run unless they turn themselves in. The law gave complete amnesty to those charged with violations and misdemeanors and reduced sentences for currently imprisoned felons. The AANES Social Justice Council later reported that it was preparing lists of those affected by the amnesty law. Later in the week the People’s Council passed new legislation outlining the powers and responsibilities of the Municipal Councils, in anticipation of the local elections to be held next month on May 30th.
04/08/24: The AANES published photos showing the “final stages of the rehabilitation of the New al-Raqqah/al-Rashid bridge,” connecting al-Raqqah city to the right bank of the Euphrates. The bridge - built in the 1960s - was partially destroyed and rendered unusable by Coalition airstrikes in early 2017, during the anti-Islamic State campaign.
04/09/24: ‘Afrin Activist Network’ published photos of a handwritten chart detailing what is reportedly the current demographic breakdown of 44 towns and villages in Afrin’s Bulbul subdistrict. The data - of unknown origins or methodology - purports to shows the number of Kurdish, Arab, and Turkmen residents in each locale of what was prior to 2011 an entirely Kurdish subdistrict. According to the data Bulbul is now home to 30,253 resident of which 62% are Arab IDPs, 8% are Turkmen IDPs, and 30% are native Kurds. The total number of residents is close to UN estimates from recent years while the IDP:native split is similar to earlier estimates for the Afrin district as a whole. According to this unsourced data the Turkmen population - the presence of which is often embellished in anti-SNA/Turkish accounts - is geographically limited, mostly present in the mostly adjacent towns of Qestel Miqdad (1,200), Kotana (610), Qurigolê (151), Qota (100), in addition to Bulbul itself (200). Turkmen presence in Afrin likely varies among Afrin’s seven subdistricts with those like Bulbul dominated by Turkmen-branded factions as well as Afrin city having higher representation.
04/09/24: SNA 1st Legion published a short video showing fighters from its constituent faction Liwa’ al-Waqqas stationed to entrance checkpoints to the northern Aleppo town of Mare’ (specifically the northwestern and northern checkpoints), undertaking security duties. This is interesting for two reasons: (1) in recent years the SIG has increasing tried to have SNA Military Police or the Civil Police manning these checkpoint and promoted such efforts in the media as a demonstration that the area was becoming increasingly institutionalized out from the factions’ hands, and (2) the Liwa’ al-Waqqas fighters are seen leaving their base on the eastern side of the town in vehicles marked with a logo reading “Mare’ City Security,” a seemingly new institution or branding.
04/11/24: Pro-opposition Deiri ‘Naher Media’ outlet reported that the Syrian regime’s Military Security forces arrested a number of anti-SDF ‘tribal fighters’ affiliated with al-’Agidat sheikh Ibrahim al-Hifl in the city of al-Mayadin. This was reportedly caused by locals complaining that the fighters use of the regime-controlled right bank of the Euphrates as a staging ground was provoking SDF counter-fire, endangering residents.
Claimed Islamic State attacks against the SDF:
04/06/24: Attack targeting an SDF patrol at al-Jafrah oil field, central Deir ez-Zour, allegedly killing a fighter and injuring others.
04/06/24: Attack targeting an SDF vehicle in al-’Izbah, central Deir ez-Zour, allegedly killing and injuring several fighters. One reportedly killed fighter was identified in local media.
04/06/24: Attack targeting an SDF checkpoint in Abu Fas, southern al-Hasakah, allegedly injuring two fighters.
04/08/24: Attack targeting an SDF checkpoint in al-Ashitah, southern al-Hasakah, allegedly killing two fighters and wounding three others.
04/09/24: Attack targeting an SDF checkpoint at al-Raghib junction between Dhiban and al-Hawayij, central Deir ez-Zour, allegedly killing two fighters and injuring three others.
04/09/24: IED attack targeting am SDF vehicle in al-Tayyanah, central Deir ez-Zour, allegedly killing four fighters.
04/12/24: Attack targeting an SDF vehicle in Barsham, central Deir ez-Zour, allegedly killing one and injuring others.