The General Command of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) released a statement calling on peoples not to be swayed by instigations and manipulative schemes in the face of the intervention of various external actors seeking to exploit the SDF’s Operation Security Reinforcement as an opportunity to realize their own agendas.

The SDF statement released on Saturday includes the following:

"Our forces have initiated Operation Security Reinforcement against the ISIS terrorist cells and other criminal elements. However, subsequently, various external actors intervened and sought to exploit this operation as an opportunity to realize their own agendas, particularly in the past three days. Clashes have erupted between our SDF and the Deir ez-Zor Military Council on one side and mercenaries with affiliations to certain elements within the regime’s security apparatus on the other. These mercenaries infiltrated the region via the Euphrates River and the al-Salhiya line, with the sinister intent of sowing discord and fomenting strife among the region’s diverse populace. Furthermore, they have propagated a distorted narrative, falsely portraying these confrontations as being between the SDF and the indigenous population of Deir ez-Zor. It is imperative to emphasize that these claims amount to baseless and misleading media propaganda. That is because Operation Security Reinforcement was conducted at the explicit request of the people of Deir ez-Zor, including the esteemed sheiks and tribal leaders, who were intimately acquainted with its intended objectives and execution. We assert emphatically that there is no discord or tension between the inhabitants of Deir ez-Zor and our SDF forces. On the contrary, everyone is aware that the SDF is the force that liberated the people of the region from the oppression of ISIS and is the one that protects the region’s peoples and achieves security and stability to this day.

The deliberate dissemination of propaganda, aimed at portraying the ongoing developments on the ground as a conflict between our forces and Arab tribes, is a calculated effort intended solely to foment discord and fracture the unity of the Syrian Democratic Forces and the local populace. Additionally, some hostile entities seek to depict these events as an inter-ethnic dispute between the Kurdish and Arab communities. This stratagem has persisted since the inception of the Syrian revolution, as it has consistently been employed to redirect the course of the revolution and frame it as a conflict rooted in religious, sectarian, and ethnic divisions.

Since 2013, numerous parties have endeavored to depict the SDF’s war against ISIS as a conflict between Kurds and Arabs, and these divisive policies persist to this day. In reality, there exists no disagreement between the Arab and Kurdish communities. Instead, they have coexisted harmoniously and securely for many years, fostering a climate of mutual respect and stability. Moreover, the institutions comprising the Autonomous Administration and the Syrian Democratic Forces have been established for eight years now by collective efforts of individuals hailing from diverse backgrounds, including Arab, Kurdish, Syriac, and Armenian communities, who have shed their blood on this soil to secure the liberation of these territories from the clutches of mercenary forces.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, in essence, stand as a compelling testament to the unity forged among the region’s peoples, notably exemplifying the harmony between the Arab and Kurdish communities. Consequently, with such propagandistic intentions, they endeavor to manipulate the sentiments of the region’s populace and incite them against one another. We remain confident, however, that our populace possesses the discernment to recognize and reject such manipulative tactics. The stance of the Syrian Democratic Forces, in this regard, remains unwavering: to safeguard the region’s integrity in all its diverse components. This steadfast commitment serves as our resounding response to all attempts at sowing discord and orchestrating subversive maneuvers.

Furthermore, the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries attempted to exploit this situation to their advantage. Consequently, they launched attacks from five different axes on the defensive lines of the Manbij Military Council. However, the fighters of the military council displayed exceptional valor and successfully thwarted all of these assaults. Moreover, they managed to expel a group of mercenaries who had managed to reach a point held by the council. Through a counteroffensive, they thoroughly combed through this village and inflicted substantial losses upon the mercenaries affiliated with the Turkish occupation. This stands as the most resounding response by the SDF against anyone attempting to provoke the region’s peoples and their security.

In light of this, we earnestly appeal to all the peoples of the region, especially our people in Deir ez-Zor, not to be swayed by such instigations and manipulative schemes. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) serve as the protective force for all the region’s peoples. Contrary to what is being propagated, the ongoing clashes are between the SDF and the mercenaries of the Turkish occupation, as well as elements affiliated with the regime’s security agencies. There exists no conflict between the SDF and the indigenous tribes of the region. We maintain an unwavering line of communication with these esteemed tribal entities. It is of the utmost importance to underscore that our sacrifices are solely dedicated to enhancing security, stability, and peace for the region’s populace.”