Two IRGC-linked Syria fighters killed in Deir az-Zour clashes with region on 'high alert'

Two pro-Iranian militia fighters have been killed in Deir az-Zour during fighting with local tribes, as the Syrian Democratic Forces announce they have cracked an Islamic State group cell in al-Hassakeh province. 

The two fighters, both Syrians, were killed while several others were injured, local media activist Abu Omar al-Bukmali told al-Araby al-Jadeed. 

They both were linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard which commands pro-regime foreign militias in Syria, according to al-Araby al-Jadeed’s correspondent in Gaiziantep. 

The reasons behind the clashes are unknown, but are believed to have flared up between the militiamen and members of the local Okeidat clan in the countryside town of al-Quria - to the east of Deir az-Zour province.

"The whole province is on a state of high alert," al-Bukmali, as flare-ups have been on the rise in recent weeks. 

Elsewhere in the province, the Syrian Democratic Forces raided an Islamic State group cell in the town of Dhiban on the same day. 

A military patrol stormed a house in al-Dashisha neighbourhood of al-Shadadi and engaged in a gunfight with armed men. 

The IS cell had recently been involved in fundraising and extortion of local officials to raise money for the organisation, said the military. 

The group had consisted of three members "involved in terrorist activities, including attempts to hit security posts in Deir az-Zour and target civilians", said an SDF statement after the incident. 

Both Deir az-Zour and al-Hassakeh have seen a build-up in military activity as Syrian regime forces have also bolstered their numbers on the western banks of the eastern province. 

The SDF has been quick to play down the prospect of clashes with the Assad regime, and say their military movements are focused on eradicating the threat of IS. 

"Recently, some media outlets have circulated misinformation about the movements of our forces in the Deir Ezzor area," read a statement from the forces last week.  

"We confirm that all information and speculations circulated are incorrect and not based on any factual basis."

The SDF is a Kurdish-led Syrian opposition military group that has been established for several years - and is the US-led global coalition’s main ally in the fight against IS militants in Syria.