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What the Khasham clash revealed about Syria's front line
Summary
A look back at the Deir ez-Zor fighting reported in early February 2018, which involved pro-government forces, US strikes and Russian contractors.
What had happened near Khasham in the days before 13 February 2018? The reports available by that date described a deadly clash in Syria's Deir ez-Zor Governorate, one that drew in several outside forces.
According to the account of 8 February, a force of five hundred pro-government troops, backed by tanks and artillery, launched a ground assault on a local headquarters of the Syrian Democratic Forces near the town. More than one hundred Syrian government fighters were killed, among them Russian private military contractors of the Wagner Group.
The day before, on 7 February, United States Central Command said it had killed more than 100 pro-government troops in strikes it described as self-defence. It placed them 8 kilometres (5.0 miles) east of the Euphrates de-confliction line, which was reportedly agreed with Russia.
Why it mattered
The reports placed the fighting on the far side of that reported line, and they tied together a pro-government assault, a US-backed local force and Russian contractors in a single episode. Beyond those points, the reports as published by 13 February gave no further detail on the aftermath.
