Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters gather during an offensive against Islamic State militants in northern Raqqa province, Syria February 8, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo

i24 News – In a recent escalation of the Syrian conflict, fierce clashes have erupted in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, driven by a schism within the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The clashes have raised concerns about the potential spread of ethnic violence to other regions, with the possibility of drawing in additional actors, including the 900 U.S. troops stationed in the area.

The trigger for the recent outbreak of violence was the arrest of Ahmed al-Khbeil, a commander tasked with securing Deir Ezzor, by the Syrian Democratic Forces.

The SDF, a coalition of Kurdish and Arab forces, was originally brought together by the United States to combat the Islamic State. While most of its commanders are Kurdish, Ahmed al-Khbeil is Arab, which sparked a strong backlash from Arab and Turkmen tribes in the region.

As tribal and militia leaders issued calls to arms through social media, conflict rapidly spread. In northwestern Syria, Arab tribal fighters, sympathetic to their counterparts in Deir Ezzor, briefly captured two villages in Aleppo province.

However, they were swiftly pushed out by Russian airstrikes, illustrating the complex web of alliances and the potential for further destabilization in Syria.

Meanwhile, despite the SDF’s efforts, the Islamic State remains a persistent threat in the region. Last week, in neighboring Iraq, a French special forces soldier was killed conducting counter-terrorism operations against the group, showing it remains active in the region.

More than a decade after the start of Syria’s civil war, an endpoint to the nation’s bloodshed doesn’t seem to be on the horizon.