Syrian army moves east of Aleppo after Kurdish forces withdraw

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete January 17, 2026 at 01:06 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Following a withdrawal of Kurdish forces, the Syrian army is moving into areas east of Aleppo, including the town of Deir Hafer. The Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed to redeploy east of the Euphrates River after talks with US officials and a pledge from Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to recognize Kurdish as a national language. The Syrian army declared it had established full military control of Deir Hafer and urged civilians to avoid the area until it is secured. While the redeployment aims to ease tensions, disagreements remain, with the Kurdish administration calling for permanent constitutional rights and both sides accusing each other of violating the agreement. US special envoy Tom Barrack is scheduled to meet with Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi to further discuss the situation.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Tom Barrack 35% Erbil 40% Iraqi Kurdistan 45% United States ×260% Mazloum Abdi ×265% Ahmed al-Sharaa ×370% Euphrates River ×270% Deir Hafer ×375% Aleppo ×380% Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) ×485% Syrian Army ×490% Syria ×695%

Keywords

syrian army 90% kurdish forces 90% syria 90% withdrawal 80% syrian democratic forces 70% euphrates river 60% military control 60% deir hafer 50% national language 50% us officials 40%