The Syrian army’s Operations Command announced new field developments in eastern Aleppo countryside on Saturday, Jan. 17, saying its forces secured 14 villages and towns east of Deir Hafir, as advance units reached Maskanah in eastern Aleppo.
In a statement carried by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the Operations Command said more than 200 members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were allowed to leave the areas entered by the army while keeping their weapons, while hundreds of other SDF members surrendered to Syrian army forces.
For its part, the SDF said government forces entered Deir Hafir and Maskanah before its fighters had fully withdrawn, describing this as a violation of the internationally sponsored agreement.
In a statement by its media center, the SDF said the agreement stipulated that Damascus government forces would enter the two towns only after the withdrawal process was completed.
It added that what happened “created an extremely dangerous situation and warns of serious consequences.”
The SDF called on the international guarantors the agreement to intervene urgently to ensure compliance and prevent further escalation in the area.
Earlier on Saturday, the Operations Command announced it had established full military control over Deir Hafir, in addition to controlling al-Jirah Military Airport and an area estimated at around 10 kilometers east of the town, according to state-run al-Ikhbariyah TV channel.
The command also announced it had begun advancing toward Maskanah and Dabsi Afnan as part of ongoing operations east of Aleppo province.
According to the Aleppo Governorate, citing the Operations Command on Saturday morning, advance units of the Syrian army began entering areas west of the Euphrates River from Deir Hafir.
“In response to calls from friendly countries”
These developments come after SDF commander Mazloum Abdi announced on Friday evening, Jan. 16, a decision to withdraw his forces from contact lines in eastern Aleppo toward the east bank of the Euphrates, starting at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17.
Abdi said the move came in response to what he described as calls from friendly countries and mediators, and as a goodwill gesture aimed at completing the integration process and adhering to the provisions of the March 10 agreement.
The Syrian Defense Ministry welcomed the decision to withdraw SDF forces from contact points west of the Euphrates.
It said it would follow up on the full withdrawal of personnel and equipment toward the east bank of the river, alongside the deployment of Syrian army units in the area to secure it and impose state sovereignty, paving the way for residents to return to their homes and villages and for state institutions to resume work.
Before the withdrawal announcement on Friday evening, Deir Hafir was hit by artillery shelling and heavy weapons clashes, as the Operations Command published maps of SDF military sites it said it would target and urged civilians to stay away from them.
In the same context, a US military convoy of six Humvee vehicles headed toward Deir Hafir late Friday morning.
The convoy’s movement coincided with intensive air activity believed to be related to the international coalition. A noticeable increase in coalition aircraft activity was also recorded over Deir Ezzor, Raqqa, and al-Hasakah, areas under SDF control in northeastern Syria.
Deir Hafir has seen heightened military alert and preparations by both the SDF and the Syrian army since Jan. 13, amid information suggesting the area was used as a launch point for suicide drones that targeted Aleppo in recent weeks.
A military source previously told Enab Baladi that areas taken over by the SDF after the fall of the former regime, and that were previously under regime control, would revert to state authority.
The source added that the SDF took control of parts of Deir Hafir after the fall of the regime on Dec. 8, 2024.
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