The Assad regime is relocating forces from the eastern Deir el-Zour province, near the Iraqi border, to bolster defenses in central and western Syria as opposition groups intensify their offensives in Homs and the capital, Damascus.
Amid escalating clashes on Nov. 27, opposition forces advanced in Idlib, Aleppo and Hama before lastly making gains in Homs and increasing pressure on Damascus. In response, the Assad regime has been redeploying troops from other regions, including Deir el-Zour.
Forces stationed along the Euphrates River, which divides regime-held areas from those controlled by the U.S.-backed PKK/YPG terrorist group, have started withdrawing. Local sources report that at least seven villages in Deir el-Zour – Murrat, Hashsham, Mazlum, Tabiyah, Husayniyah, Salihiyah and Hatlah – have been vacated by regime forces and are now under PKK/YPG control.
The regime has also pulled troops from the Deir el-Zour military air base, ceding it to PKK/YPG control, and is reportedly consolidating its remaining forces in the province to fortify Damascus. Iranian-backed groups in the region have simultaneously shifted their presence, concentrating near al-Bukamal, a strategic town along the Iraq-Syria border.
Deir el-Zour serves as a critical link in Iran's supply corridor, stretching from Iraqi territory through Syria to Lebanon. The withdrawal of Syrian troops from key areas raises concerns over the region's stability and the increasing influence of the U.S.-backed PKK/YPG, which already controls most of the territory east of the Euphrates River.
Currently, regime forces maintain control of the provincial capital and surrounding rural areas with support from Iranian-backed groups. However, the latest developments signal a significant shift in the region's balance of power.
In northwestern Syria, fierce battles between regime forces and opposition groups have intensified since Nov. 27. By Nov. 30, opposition forces had captured most of Aleppo's central districts and taken full control of Idlib province.
On Thursday, opposition groups seized the key city of Hama after days of heavy fighting, and they have begun advancing into parts of Homs province, a gateway to Damascus.
Meanwhile, in the northern countryside of Aleppo, the Syrian National Army (SNA) launched Operation Dawn of Freedom on Dec. 1, targeting PKK/YPG forces. The operation successfully cleared the town of Tal Rifaat of terrorist elements.
