Prominent members of Arab tribes in the northeastern Syrian city of Aleppo have vowed to combat what they described as "American occupiers" and the US-backed militants from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
In a statement on Thursday, they signalled readiness to support popular resistance against American troops and their allies, also blaming the SDF and other militant groups for stealing Syria's resources.
The tribes specifically pledged to extend moral and material assistance to the popular resistance forces to help them liberate Syrian territory from US-backed militants.
The elders also welcomed a number of recent victories gained by Syrian government forces in Aleppo, Idlb, and other northeastern cities "under the courageous leadership" of President Bashar Assad.
The statement comes after elders of the Arab Al-Uqaydat tribe met in the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor earlier this month, agreeing that the US-led coalition is responsible for murdering tribal sheikhs in the area, and giving SDF forces one month to leave the area.
The most recent high-profile crime attributed to SDF fighters is the assassination of Sheikh Mutashar al-Hafil and his relative Dar Mihlef al-Khalaf, which sparked a wave of protests by local tribes against both the SDF and the pro-American coalition.
"We are calling on the international coalition to transfer control over the province directly to its Arab population, respecting Syria's territorial integrity, as well as the rights of Syrian citizens", the tribal elders emphasised.
The Syrian government has repeatedly slammed the presence of a US military contingent in the country as illegal, pointing out the fact that American troops didn't receive a mandate either from Damascus or the UN.
*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State), a terrorist group banned in Russia and a number of other countries
