In early March 2018, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a key player in the fight against ISIS and a coalition of Kurdish and Arab forces, decided to pause their military campaign in the Deir ez-Zor region due to the escalating situation in Afrin. The Turkish government had launched a targeted offensive, Operation Olive Branch, aimed at the Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin in northwestern Syria. The SDF, primarily composed of the Kurdish YPG militia, found itself in a precarious position as their previous advances against ISIS were now overshadowed by the urgent need to defend autonomy against Turkish forces that perceived the SDF as an extension of the PKK, deemed a terrorist organization by Turkey.

The decision to halt operations in Deir ez-Zor was not taken lightly. The SDF had made significant gains in this oil-rich region after years of fighting, collaborating with U.S. forces to dismantle ISIS strongholds. However, the immediate threat posed by the Turkish invasion necessitated a strategic reevaluation. The conflict in Afrin drew not only Turkish military attention but also highlighted the tensions between various factions involved in the Syrian civil war, with the SDF struggling to maintain its objectives of fighting ISIS while simultaneously defending their territories from external attacks.

As the situation unfolded, the pause in Deir ez-Zor demonstrated the fragile nature of alliances and the impact of external pressures on the ongoing conflict. The SDF was caught in a complex web of geopolitical interests, forced to balance its fight against ISIS with its need to protect Kurdish regions from Turkish advances. This duality illustrated the multifaceted layers of the Syrian civil war, where local battles are deeply intertwined with national and regional geopolitics, pushing the SDF into a precarious position.