Iran Activists: 16 civilians killed in fighting in eastern Syria

According to human rights activists, at least 16 civilians, including seven children, have been killed in further fighting in eastern Syria. At least 35 civilians have also been injured, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Civilian casualties are also on the rise in the ongoing fighting in the province of Dair as-Saur.

In the region, tribal fighters loyal to Iran are fighting alongside the government against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are led by the Kurdish militias and are allied with the USA. The pro-Iranian militias sent reinforcements to the battle zone, and residents in some villages were also asked to leave their homes because of the fighting.

In Syria, as in other parts of the Arab world, there had been mass protests against the government in 2011. Security forces in Syria violently crushed the protests. This resulted in a civil war that lasted for years. The government of President Bashar al-Assad, which counts Russia and Iran among its most important allies, controls around two thirds of the country, which is effectively divided. Around 900 US soldiers are also stationed in the country.