Four people killed in tribal fighting in Syria’s Aleppo province

Four people were killed and sixteen injured in fighting between tribes in eastern Aleppo province amid a series of violent incidents in Syria, while one fighter was killed and five wounded when fighting broke out between Turkish-backed Syrian fighters.

Local sources told The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that members of opposing tribes fought each other with machine guns in the village of Arnah near Sirin in eastern Aleppo province.

The area is controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which hold sway over most of northeastern Syria.

Local people called on tribal leaders to intervene to stop the fighting.

In eastern Syria, two women were wounded by stray bullets when tribal fighting broke out in the city of Shahil in eastern Deir Al-Zour province, which is also under SDF control.

Tribal fighting has increased recently in SDF controlled areas of Syria due to the proliferation of weapons among the civilian population and the absence of legal controls to stop their spread and possession.

Weapons have increasingly been used in street fighting and brawls, while tribal leaders have tried to stop bloodshed and broker reconciliations based on the tribal customs of northeastern Syria.

Elsewhere in Syria, one fighter was killed and five wounded when fighting broke out between members of the Third Brigade of the Turkish-backed “Syrian National Army” near the Tal Abyad border crossing between Turkey and Syria.

Sources close to the SNA told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the clashes broke out due to a decision by the leadership of the Third Brigade to fire a former security official working at the Tal Abyad border crossing.

The official refused to abandon his post at the border and forces from the Third Brigade stormed the crossing in order to implement the decision, leading to the deadly clashes.

Deadly fighting has broken out before in Syria between different Turkish-backed groups operating in northern Syria.