Locals in eastern Syria protest against YPG/PKK

By Mohamad Misto and Ethem Emre Ozcan

DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (AA) - Arab residents of eastern Syria staged a demonstration on Wednesday against the YPG/PKK terrorist group.

According to local sources, around 500 people gathered in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor province to protest discrimination among the local population, as well as poor living conditions, and rampant corruption in the region.

Protesters accused the terror group of depriving local people of basic services such as water and communication.

Earlier, around 1,000 people gathered on Saturday in the Deir ez-Zor countryside and in another demonstration against the terror group, which sells hundreds of trucks of oil every day to areas under the control of the Bashar al-Assad regime, leaving locals without fuel.

The people called on the terror group to end their occupation of the oil fields.

Deir ez-Zor is a major link between Iran and Lebanon. Pipelines and trade routes from Iraq and Jordan also pass through the province.

Bordering the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, it is currently under the control of the YPG/PKK terrorist organization.

With the help of Russia and Iran-backed militias, the central and western parts of Deir ez-Zor fell to regime forces as Daesh/ISIS terrorists retreated in November 2017.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara