Syrian Army, SDF Clash Near Deir ez-Zor After Power-Sharing Talks Collapse

Heavy fighting broke out on 12 July between Syrian government troops and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in and around the town of Al-Asharah, a strategic crossing point on the Euphrates River in Deir ez-Zor province. Local reports described sustained gunfire and on-off engagements that spread through rural areas on the river’s eastern bank. Tensions have risen since a 9 July summit in Damascus ended without agreement on power-sharing arrangements in SDF-controlled territories. In recent days, both sides have fortified their positions, erecting new earth berms and closing informal river crossings used for trade and movement between SDF- and government-held zones. Casualty figures were not immediately available, and neither Damascus nor SDF commanders issued an official statement, leaving the duration and likely scope of the latest hostilities unclear.