Syrian forces are pushing Kurds out of the Aleppo area
Syrian forces enter the Raqqa area of eastern Aleppo after the withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on Saturday. Photo by Ahmad Fallaha/EPA
Jan. 17 (UPI) — Syrian forces have pushed Kurdish fighters out of several cities and villages in the Aleppo region on Saturday after Kurdish leaders announced they were withdrawing.
The Syrian military took control of Maskana and continued its advance on other communities controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, which largely is made up of Kurds, CNN reported.
The SDF’s media center reported the Kurdish forces are “engaged in intense clashes” with the Syrian military and accused government officials in Damascus of violating a recent truce agreement.
“As a result of the Damascus government’s treachery and violation of the internationally sponsored agreement, groups of our fighters remain besieged in the towns of Deir Hafer and Maskana, despite the agreement stipulating a 48-hour deadline for our forces to withdraw,” the SDF said in an earlier post.
“The Damascus government violated the agreement and attacked our fighters using tanks,” the SDF continued.
“We hold the Damascus government and the international powers sponsoring the agreement fully responsible for the safety and lives of our besieged fighters,” it said. “We emphasize the necessity of ensuring their safe passage, along with their weapons, to areas in North and East Syria.”
The Aleppo region, where Saturday’s fighting occurred, is located in northwestern Syria and about 220 miles north of Damascus.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa earlier said he would unify the nation that had been divided during 14 years of civil war that mostly ended in late 2024 when former President Bashar al-Assad fled the country as forces led by al-Sharaa captured Damascus.
Syrian forces also took control of Deir Hafer and several other locales in the region and declared the area west of the Euphrates River to be closed to all but the nation’s military, according to Al Jazeera.
An unknown number of fighters for both sides died in the fighting, and the Syrian Interior Ministry reported its soldiers captured an SDF weapons supply depot.
Although the SDF is being eliminated in Syria, al-Sharaa has declared Kurdish to be the national language of Syria and restored the citizenship of all Syrians who are Kurds.
