Protesters in Syria’s eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr have denounced the presence of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed alliance of mainly Kurdish militants operating against Damascus.
Syria’s official news agency SANA reported on Monday that residents in the town of Gharanij on the eastern countryside of the province censured incidents of kidnapping, murder, arbitrary arrest, confiscation of property and theft of oil and other natural resources by the militants.
The angry crowd called for the expulsion of the SDF militants from their hometown.
A similar protest was held in the village of Abu Hamam last week. In the neighboring province of Hasakah, Syrians expressed the same grievance on June 5.
Meanwhile, for the second consecutive day, workers in Hasakah staged a walkout in protest against a regional electricity company’s policies.
They held the SDF responsible for a weak power transmission and distribution infrastructure.
The US-sponsored group has deployed a large number of militants in the area to curb the strike action by the workers.
The security situation is reportedly deteriorating in the areas controlled by the SDF in Hasakah and Dayr al-Zawr due to arrests of civilians by the US-sponsored militants.
Locals argue that constant raids by the SDF have created a state of frustration and instability, severely affecting their livelihood.
The United States has long been providing the SDF with arms and militants, calling them a key partner in the purported fight against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
Many observers, however, see the support in the context of Washington’s plans to carve out a foothold in Syria.
Such support has also angered Turkey, which views militants of the People's Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF, as a terrorist organization tied to the homegrown Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
The PKK has been engaged in a destructive war inside Turkey for decades.
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