ALBAWABA- The Syrian Army announced on Tuesday that Deir Hafer, Maskanah, and Babiri in the eastern Aleppo countryside are now closed military zones, signaling heightened tensions in northern Syria.
The army’s Operations Command ordered the immediate withdrawal of all armed groups, including Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) elements, to positions east of the Euphrates River.
Syrian state media reported the move aims to secure the region amid intelligence of SDF reinforcements, including fighters linked to the PKK, which Damascus designates as a terrorist organization.
Authorities warned that any unauthorized military movements would trigger a “severe response,” highlighting ongoing surveillance and bolstered Syrian positions.
The escalation follows a week of intense clashes in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, including Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, which erupted on January 6 after failed negotiations to integrate SDF units into the national army under a March 2025 agreement.
The fighting, the deadliest since the fall of the Assad regime in 2024, left at least 23 dead, including civilians, and displaced more than 140,000 residents amid shelling and drone strikes.
SDF fighters had withdrawn from the city under a fragile ceasefire, retreating to northeastern Syria east of the Euphrates, marking a government victory but exposing ongoing challenges to national reconciliation.
U.S. Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, expressed serious concern over the Aleppo violence, warning that it undermines the integration deal and risks broader instability.
After meetings in Damascus with President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Barrack urged all parties to “pause hostilities, reduce tensions immediately, and commit to de-escalation,” emphasizing Washington’s willingness to facilitate dialogue for Syrian unity and equal rights for all citizens.
