SYRIA – Syria’s army says its forces have taken control of dozens of towns in the eastern Aleppo governorate after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdrew from the areas.
After driving Kurdish forces out of Aleppo city last week following deadly clashes, Syria’s army deployed reinforcements near Deir Hafer and other towns and ordered the SDF to evacuate the area between the town and the Euphrates River, about 30kilometres (18 miles) further east, amid a power struggle over the disarmament of the Kurdish-led group.
In statements to state television, Syria’s army said it had taken control of “34 villages and towns” east of Aleppo since it began entering the areas on Saturday morning, including the key towns of Deir Hafer and Maskana, as well as a military airport. However, it accused the SDF of violating the agreement and targeting an army patrol near Maskana, “killing two soldiers.”
It also said it had secured the exit of “more than 200 SDF fighters and their weapons.” The SDF, meanwhile, accused Damascus of violating the agreement, saying the army entered the towns of Deir Hafer and Maskana “before our fighters had fully withdrawn, creating a highly dangerous situation,” and reported clashes.
Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi, reporting from Deir Hafer, said civilians were on their way back to the town and attempting to enter it. “We have seen families travelling in the backs of pick-up trucks, braving cold, rainy weather. They are arriving at mud walls set up by the SDF as roadblocks and checkpoints as part of their positions,” he said.
“We are now seeing bulldozers moving in to clear the area, as the Syrian military attempts to establish control and carry out checks on those returning.” Basravi also said people were elated that the city was under the control of the Syrian military. “Things here are celebratory,” he added. Syria’s government is seeking to extend its authority across the country following the removal of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
The SDF controls swathes of Syria’s oil-rich north and northeast, much of which it captured during the country’s civil war and the fight against the ISIL (ISIS) group over the past decade—a war the SDF fought as the main regional ally of the United States.
Progress on implementing a March deal to integrate the political and armed structures of the Kurdish de facto autonomous administration into the state has stalled amid differences between the two sides, including Kurdish demands for decentralised rule. (Aljazeera)
