Syrian army forces deploy in the town of Deir Hafer in the eastern countryside of Aleppo province, northern Syria, Jan. 17, 2026, following days of clashes and security operations as government troops move to reassert control over the area. (Str/Xinhua)
DAMASCUS, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Military tensions between Syria's interim authorities and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) sharply escalated on Saturday across northern Syria, as clashes erupted despite a withdrawal agreement announced a day earlier.
The day began with renewed fighting in eastern Aleppo countryside after the SDF accused the Syrian army of entering the towns of Deir Hafer and Maskanah before a 48-hour withdrawal period had expired.
The Syrian army, meanwhile, said it was deploying to secure the area following what it described as SDF violations of the agreement, including attacks on its troops that killed two soldiers.
As the confrontation widened, Syrian forces announced advances beyond eastern Aleppo toward Raqqa province, declaring all territory west of the Euphrates a closed military zone.
State media reported that the army had seized key sites near Tabqa, including the Safyan and al-Thawra oil fields, the al-Rasafa junction, and several towns and villages, while beginning to enter Tabqa from multiple axes and encircle the military airport.
The SDF rejected claims that Raqqa province was covered by the withdrawal agreement, insisting that the deal applied only to Deir Hafer and Maskanah. It accused Syrian forces of attacking its positions with tanks and artillery in areas not included in the arrangement, including Dibsi Afnan and around the al-Thawra oil field.
The SDF also imposed a full curfew across Raqqa, warning that continued escalation could destabilize security, including at prisons holding Islamic State detainees.
The flare-up came just hours after SDF commander Mazloum Abdi announced that his forces would begin withdrawing east of the Euphrates on Saturday morning following calls from international mediators.
The United States, which has long backed the SDF but now also supports Syria's transitional authorities, urged restraint. U.S. Central Command called on Syrian government forces to halt offensive operations between Aleppo and Tabqa, warning against further escalation.
The latest developments follow the Syrian army's removal of SDF forces earlier this month from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo, after which Damascus demanded a full SDF withdrawal from territory extending eastward to the Euphrates. Although both sides officially committed to implementing a March 2025 integration agreement, repeated accusations of violations and clashes on the battlefield have kept the process stalled.
As of Saturday night, fighting remained ongoing in parts of eastern Aleppo countryside and western Raqqa. ■
A drone photo shows Syrian army forces deploying in the town of Deir Hafer in the eastern countryside of Aleppo province, northern Syria, Jan. 17, 2026, following days of clashes and security operations as government troops move to reassert control over the area. (Str/Xinhua)
Syrian army forces deploy in the town of Deir Hafer in the eastern countryside of Aleppo province, northern Syria, Jan. 17, 2026, following days of clashes and security operations as government troops move to reassert control over the area. (Str/Xinhua)
