SDF says Damascus breached deal, entered eastern Aleppo early
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) accused on Saturday Damascus of violating an internationally sponsored agreement after government forces entered the towns of Dayr Hafir and Maskanah in the eastern countryside of Aleppo before the completion of an agreed SDF withdrawal.
In a statement issued by its Media Center, the SDF said that under the terms of the deal, Damascus forces were supposed to enter the two towns only after SDF units had fully redeployed.
“Damascus violated the terms of the agreement and entered the towns before our fighters had fully withdrawn, creating a highly dangerous situation with potentially serious repercussions,” the statement read.
The SDF warned that the premature deployment risked escalating tensions on the ground and undermining de-escalation efforts brokered by international mediators.
Accordingly, the SDF called on the international powers sponsoring the agreement to “intervene urgently” to ensure its implementation and prevent further deterioration of the situation.
Local sources told North Press that military movements in and around Dayr Hafir and Maskanah have heightened anxiety among residents, many of whom had already been affected by recent clashes in Aleppo eastern countryside.
The incident underscores the fragility of existing arrangements between the SDF and Damascus and raises questions about the durability of recently brokered security understandings in northern Syria.
Tensions around the Aleppo eastern countryside escalated in mid-January 2026 amid renewed shelling between the SDF and factions aligned with the Syrian transitional government near the two towns, located west of the Euphrates River.
On Friday, SDF Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi announced that his forces would withdraw at 7:00 a.m. the following morning from current contact areas in eastern Aleppo, including positions around Dayr Hafir and Maskanah. The redeployment would move SDF units east of the Euphrates.
His announcement followed two days of renewed attacks on SDF positions in the area, which had raised fears of a broader confrontation. Abdi emphasized that the withdrawal was intended to reduce friction, protect civilians, and keep political channels open rather than represent a battlefield retreat.
However, the situation quickly became more contentious when the SDF later accused Damascus of entering Dayr Hafir and Maskanah before the withdrawal was fully completed, arguing that this breached the terms of the internationally sponsored arrangement.
Hours earlier, the Syrian Army’s Operations Command announced that its forces had entered the town of Dayr Hafir and were advancing from there toward the town of Maskanah.