What was known about Khasham by 12 February 2018?

What did the world know about the fighting near Khasham as of 12 February 2018? The reports available by then pointed to a deadly clash in Syria's Deir ez-Zor Governorate involving pro-government forces, Russian contractors and US air power.

According to reports dated 8 February 2018, a force of 500 Syrian pro-government troops, backed by tanks and artillery, launched a ground assault on a local headquarters of the Syrian Democratic Forces near the town of Khasham. More than 100 Syrian government fighters were killed in the battle. Among the dead were Russian private military contractors of the Wagner Group.

The United States Central Command had said on 7 February 2018 that it killed more than 100 pro-government troops in strikes it described as self-defence. It placed them 8 kilometres (5 miles) east of the Euphrates de-confliction line, which had reportedly been agreed with Russia.

Taken together, the accounts described a ground attack on a position of the Syrian Democratic Forces and a US military response east of the agreed line, with heavy losses among the attacking fighters.