Eurasia Press & News
In the wake of intense fighting between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government forces, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi ordered the withdrawal of his personnel from contested areas of Aleppo province.
“Based on invitations from friendly countries and mediators, and in demonstration of our good faith in completing the merger process and our commitment to implementing the provisions of the March 10th agreement, we have decided to withdraw our forces tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. from the current contested lines east of Aleppo, areas that have been under attack for the past two days, and redeploy them to areas east of the Euphrates,” Abdi announced on January 16.
Abdi’s announcement followed heightened diplomatic and military activity in northern Aleppo, including the appearance of a US military convoy near Deir Hafer, where significant fighting has been ongoing between the SDF and the government. Days earlier, on January 13, Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), urged a de-escalation, calling on “all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid actions that could further escalate tensions, and prioritize the protection of civilians and critical infrastructure.”
Recent clashes between the parties have unfolded against the backdrop of a broader Syrian government pressure campaign against the SDF. Reuters reported that Damascus prepared an offensive against towns in SDF-held northeastern Syria to “pressure autonomy-minded Kurds into making concessions” following the collapse of a March agreement to integrate the SDF’s civil and military institutions into the Syrian state.
After last week’s battles and the Syrian government’s takeover of the Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh in Aleppo, Syrian army units deployed reinforcements to Deir Hafer to consolidate control over all territory west of the Euphrates River. In response, the SDF dispatched reinforcements to defend the area.
Since January 14, Syrian government forces have conducted repeated attacks on SDF positions in and around Deir Hafer, coinciding with Damascus’s announcement of a humanitarian corridor for civilians living in areas under SDF control. The Syrian army reportedly carried out intermittent strikes using multiple rocket launchers as fighting spread to areas near the Tishreen Dam. According to Turkish sources, Syrian government forces targeted a fertilizer company’s headquarters and warehouses, as well as a former post office building that the SDF had converted into a command center. The SDF, in turn, targeted Syrian army positions in the village of Hamima in Aleppo province with suicide drones and heavy machine guns.
Alongside its military escalation, Damascus intensified an information and psychological campaign against the SDF. Syrian officials accused the group of receiving assistance from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which the United States and Turkey have designated as a terrorist organization. The government also alleged that former members of deposed dictator Bashar al Assad’s security apparatus were embedded within SDF units operating in the Deir Hafer area. The Syrian Ministry of Defense subsequently called on SDF fighters to defect, issued guidelines for doing so, and claimed it had facilitated the defection of six individuals.
The SDF forcefully rejected the government’s statements, stating that claims of PKK involvement were “part of a deliberate disinformation campaign carrying malicious messages directed at specific international entities,” aimed at undermining the group’s reputation and sabotaging its relations with international partners.
The SDF further asserted that it is a national force “composed of fighters from the sons and daughters of the Syrian people across its various components,” also noting that “established facts confirm the presence of thousands of foreign fighters, including Uzbeks and Chechens, within the ranks of factions affiliated with the Damascus authorities themselves.”
