In a rare move, the U.S. and Russian forces agreed to open a crossing between the territories controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and government in Deir Ezzor.
According to a field report from the Deir Ezzor Governorate, the U.S. and Russian forces agreed to open the Al-Salihiyah crossing, which will link civilians to both sides of the Euphrates.
The importance of the land crossing is that it is the only crossing that connects between the governorates of Deir Ezzor and Al-Hasakah in eastern Syria, and it reopened this morning after being closed for nearly a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The reopening of this crossing will likely have a positive effect on the local economies and the return of displaced people, who fled the area during the Islamic State’s long presence in the administrative capital and its surrounding areas.
While the U.S. and Russia are not involved in a direct military conflict in Syria, they rarely coordinate with one another, as Washington has pursued a policy of regime change inside the Arab Republic.
