The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Press Center said in a statement on Friday night that a 48-hour curfew had been declared in Deir ez-Zor.

The statement said: "Due to the precarious security situation in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, caused by the regime's security forces and the efforts of ISIS cells to spread chaos, the Deir ez-Zor Civil Council and Internal Security Forces declared a curfew in the city.”

The curfew began at 5am today, Saturday, and will be in place for 48 hours.

The statement added: “The SDF will continue to take every precaution to protect the lives and property of civilians from armed mercenaries and won’t allow mercenaries to hide among civilians.”

On 27 August, the SDF launched an operation called ‘Security Reinforcement’ targeting ISIS cells in the region.

Background

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched "Operation Security Reinforcement" against ISIS cells in Deir ez-Zor region late on 27 August night. The offensive launched in cooperation with the international anti-ISIS coalition aims to track down and root out terror cells in order to stop potential attacks. The background is an increase in ISIS attacks against the civilian population, security personnel and local government employees. The operation is also directed against organised crime and smuggling networks. The area of operation includes areas east of the Euphrates, but primarily the Deir ez-Zor region in eastern Syria.