Syrian army launches strikes against Kurdish-led SDF east of Aleppo

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffJanuary 16, 2026 at 10:19 PM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

In January 2026, the Syrian army launched a military operation against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Deir Hafer, east of Aleppo, citing SDF's use of the area for attacks. The strikes followed deadly clashes in Aleppo stemming from delays in integrating the SDF into the Syrian state, as agreed in a March 2025 deal. In response to the military action and calls from mediators, SDF leader Mazloum Abdi announced the withdrawal of his forces east of the Euphrates River, starting January 17th, as a commitment to the stalled agreement. The recent fighting in Aleppo resulted in numerous casualties and the displacement of over 150,000 people from SDF-held areas. Syrian President al-Sharaa also issued a decree regarding Kurdish rights.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

al-Sharaa 30% Syria's Ministry of Health 40% Syrian Ministry of Defence 50% Euphrates River ×260% Deir Hafer ×270% Syria ×480% Syrian Army ×280% Mazloum Abdi (Mazloum Kobani) ×390% Aleppo ×590% Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) ×6100%

Keywords

sdf 100% syrian army 90% kurdish fighters 80% aleppo 80% military operation 70% withdrawal 70% clashes 60% euphrates river 60% integration agreement 50% syrian civil war 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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sdf syrian army kurdish fighters aleppo military operation withdrawal clashes euphrates river integration agreement syrian civil war

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