News - Middle East: Clashes in Syria’s eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr between Arab tribal fighters and US-backed Kurdish-led separatists from the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have left several people dead and others wounded, local media say.

The exchanges of gunfire, which continued on Thursday, were among the worst in months in the region along the border with Iraq.

The clashes broke out after the US-backed and Kurdish-led SDF separatists detained several leaders and members of the Akidat clan.

Locals said SDF militants have killed several tribesmen in the village of al-Dahlah and that the US-backed separatists are seeking an ethnic conflict in eastern Syria.

They have recently arrested a number of Arab tribal leaders on spurious allegation of connection with the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.