A Kurdish militia supported by the US has made territorial gains against Arab mutineers in eastern Syria, but a militarised Arab tribal backlash is growing in the area, sources on both sides have said.
The ethnic fighting is undermining a US-supervised order in the east, the centre of Syria's oil output and its main wheat farming region.
More than 120 people have been reported killed in fighting in the past two weeks after members of the People Protection Units militia, known as the YPG, arrested an Arab warlord who goes by the name Abu Khawla.
A source in the Kurdish-controlled administration in eastern Syria said YPG infantry units have in the past two days regained that area of Buseira, the home region of Abu Khalwa, in Deir Ezzor governorate.
“The tribes withdrew because they lack the heavy weapons for fixed warfare. But the YPG has left itself open to guerrilla attacks,” the source said.
“The Kurds have no organic base in Deir Ezzor. It will be up to the Americans to renegotiate an accommodation,” the source says, referring the overwhelmingly Arab governorate.
Arab tribes had surrounded a YPG outpost in Buseira, which is situated between the Euphrates River and Al Khabour, a largely dry tributary. Arab auxiliaries have also launched attacks on YPG forces in the governorate of Aleppo, the easternmost frontier of the YPG zone in Syria.
Although Abu Khawla worked with the YPG in a US-supervised coalition against ISIS, he has lately been contesting YPG control of the war economy in the east.
His loyalists have erected their own roadblocks to collect taxes and moved to remove YPG installed tribal leaders.
The US embassy in Syria, which has no physical presence in the country, said US officials had met Kurdish commanders and “community leaders” to discuss de-escalation in the east.
Although Abu Khawla was not seen as a popular commander, his arrest has been regarded as an affront to Arabs who resent the US-supported Kurdish expansion.
Alliances between the YPG and Arab tribes, which Washington has been trying to solidly for years, mainly though the lure of money have started to unravel.
Over the past few weeks, tribal leaders have issued calls to unite to expel the YPG from Deir Ezzor, the weakest link in the wide strip of territory it controls, because of the lack of indigenous Kurds in the areas.
The military heft of the YPG is centred in the neighbouring governorate of Hasakah, where the Kurds constitute a majority of the population.
Ibrhim Al Hafl, a senior member of the Okeidat tribe which has turned against the YPG, said he was willing to work on restoring peace to the east, as long as the US meets a list of demands to end “systematic practices” against Arabs.
He said only Arab figures should be in charge of Deir Ezzor, with a direct channel to US forces, dispensing with the need to go through the YPG.
Security and services in the area must be resorted, he said, adding that the YPG has unjustly arrested members of Bukair tribe, to which Abu Khawla belongs, and that they should all be released.
Up to the fighting last month, the YPG controlled, with US backing, large swathes of territory along the border with Turkey, stretching from the east of the Euphrates river to the border with Iraq. These areas include parts of the Aleppo, Deir Ezzor and Aleppo governorates.
The Kurdish militias have emerged as among the most pragmatic players in the Syrian civil war, which started after the security forces of President Bashar Al Assad used force to suppress the 2011 revolt against his rule.
The Kurdish Union Democratic Party, a forerunner of the YPG, helped the Syrian authorities crush the protest movement but allied with the US in the ensuing civil war.
The YPG has also kept channels open with Damascus and with Russia, which has helped the YPG carve an enclave in the rural area of Tel Rifaat, near the metropolis of Aleppo.
At the weekend, Arab tribes in Aleppo governorate launched attacks against YPG controlled villages in eastern Aleppo, to relieve pressure on the Deir Ezzor Arabs.
The Arab auxiliaries have been slowly advancing in the area of Minbig, near the Euphrates, reports said.
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The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
The Beach Bum
Director: Harmony Korine
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg
Two stars
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
