The city of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria has fallen to rebels who overthrew Bashar Al Assad after the Kurdish SDF militia withdrew from the area, residents said on Wednesday.
The rebels have also captured the three main oilfields in the province, sources said. They were aided by an Arab component of the SDF called the Military Council, which defected to them. Since Mr Al Assad's downfall on Sunday, more than 200 Arabs have been killed in the governorate of Deir Ezzor and the adjacent governorate of Raqqa in uprisings against Kurdish warlords. There were no available figures on SDF casualties.
The fall of Deir Ezzor further consolidates the position of Ahmad Al Shara, leader of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, an offshoot of Al Qaeda with links to Turkey. The HTS, which the US designated terrorists in 2014, toppled Mr Al Assad aided by proxy militias of Ankara, capping a rapid advance from the north.
Mr Al Shara has moved quickly to install a new government in Damascus, staying away from confrontation with the US and Israel, which has since destroyed military hardware abandoned by the Syrian army. Washington created the SDF in 2015 as a ground component in the fight against ISIS in eastern Syria. The area, home to about two million people, is ethnically mixed between Arabs and Kurds.
Rebel spokesman Hassan Abdul Ghani said Deir Ezzor along with its eastern and western countryside are now under their control. “Our fighters are continuing their progress,” he said.
The east became a US zone of influence manned by Washington's proxy SDF militias as Syria fragmented during the civil war. The conflict started in 2011 after regime forces crushed a peaceful protest movement demanding the removal of Mr Al Assad. The SDF helped the regime crackdown on the protests and collaborated with the government against the armed revolt.
Many in the SDF, including its leaders, are linked to the Turkish PKK, which is considered a terrorist organisation by Washington but was seen as a useful ground component in US-led military operations against ISIS. The SDF had hoped to establish a fief across the north of Syria, running from the Mediterranean to the border with Iraq.
Fighting has also been continuing between the SDF and Arab armed groups in Manbaj, which was about to fall to the rebels before the US mediated a ceasefire. SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said on Wednesday that under the deal, forces allied with the SDF would withdraw from the city “as soon as possible”.
Now, the survival of the Kurds as a major player in post-Assad Syria has been thrown into doubt.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
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
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Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
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RESULT
Arsenal 2
Sokratis Papastathopoulos 45 4'
Eddie Ntkeiah 51'
Portsmouth 0
MATCH INFO
France 3
Umtiti (8'), Griezmann (29' pen), Dembele (63')
Italy 1
Bonucci (36')
Muguruza's singles career in stats
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$11,128,219 (Dh40,873,133.82)
Wins / losses 293 / 149
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
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- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
