On September 5, 2023, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) documented that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) group has seized control of 21 * civilian facilities in northern Deir Ez-Zour governorate, including 18 schools and one medical faciliitey, and repurposed them as military facilities in the seven days since armed clashes broke out between the SDF and the Arab tribes on August 29, 2023. These schools are scattered across the villages of al-Khabour al-Sharqi and al-Khabour al-Gharbi in SDF-controlled northern rural Deir Ez-Zour governorate.
Those new developments come amid ongoing clashes between the SDF and Deir Ez-Zour Military Council backed by Arab tribes, which broke out on August 29, 2023.
SNHR condemns all killings and violations no matter which party is responsible. We call for bringing an immediate end to the fighting to ensure the safety of civilians in the area, and to prevent any further damage to civilian objects.
*In a news report published by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) earlier, we stated that SDF took over 21 schools in northern Deir Ez-Zour governorate on September 5, 2023. On further investigation of the information which we received from activists in the area, we discovered that following SDF took over 21 civilian facilities, including 18 schools and one medical facilities. As such, we published this notice on September 8, 2023, to correct our earlier reporting.
