- B agg ara ▁Youth ▁denied ▁these ▁charges , ▁and ▁said ▁the ▁De ir ▁ez - Z or ▁Military ▁Council ▁was ▁den ying ▁Eu phr ates ▁Sh ield ▁f igh ters ▁who ▁defect ed ▁to ▁the ▁S DF ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁G ather ing . ▁D ah la ▁reported ly ▁threatened ▁to ▁ce ase ▁his ▁group ' s ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁De ir ▁ez - Z or ▁off ensive . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 5 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁Tal al ▁Sil o , ▁surrender ed ▁or ▁defect ed ▁to ▁the ▁Turkish ▁Army . ▁The ▁nature ▁of ▁his ▁leaving ▁the ▁S DF ▁being ▁up ▁for ▁dispute . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 0 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁H uss am ▁Aw ak ▁announced ▁his ▁res ignation ▁from ▁the ▁S DF ▁on ▁his ▁Facebook ▁page ▁without ▁providing ▁any ▁reasons . ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁t ensions ▁began ▁to ▁build ▁up ▁between ▁members ▁of ▁Arab ▁tribes , ▁including ▁Li wa ▁Th u war ▁al - R a qq a , ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁S DF ▁and ▁the ▁Ra qq a ▁In ternal ▁Security ▁Forces ▁over ▁rec ruit ment ▁issues ▁in ▁Ra qq a . ▁A ▁cur f ew ▁was ▁put ▁in ▁place ▁in ▁both ▁Ra qq a ▁city ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁governor ate ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁June , ▁as ▁the ▁S DF ▁and ▁R IS F ▁bes ie ged ▁Th u war ▁al - R a qq a ' s ▁headquarters